


Daughter of a Snake

by Hiroakki



Category: Naruto
Genre: Action & Romance, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-05
Updated: 2018-04-05
Packaged: 2019-01-29 15:21:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 88
Words: 94,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12633825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hiroakki/pseuds/Hiroakki
Summary: For seven years, I've lived fully trusting my parents, without any worries. We were always on the move, but this never seemed strange to me. My father is a man named Orochimaru. Until the age of seven, I didn't realize how dangerous that man actually was.





	1. The Past

For seven years, I've lived fully trusting my parents, without any worries. We were always on the move, but this never seemed strange to me. I had always lived like that since as long as I could remember. My mother was a kunoichi of Kirigakure. She told me that, after falling in love with my father, she quit her village to follow him. My father is a man named Orochimaru. She told me about how she found him badly hurt, one day in the snow. Apparently, he was running from his village, Konohagakure. She took care of him and they ended up having me. I was spared from further details. I had deep black eyes and long black hair. Sometimes my eyes would change into yellow, snake-like eyes, just like my father's. It used to happen randomly at first, but I was able to control after a while. I never saw my father much. He would come and check up on me once in a while, taking weird tests. He said it was for my health. When I was about six, we went back to Kirigakure. I was never allowed to leave the house. One night, however, I snuck out. I stumbled upon a poor little boy who looked like he went through hell.

"Hi. Are you alright?"

I asked him. The boy stared at me for a bit and burst out crying.

"Don't cry! What happened?"

"My… my family… I…"

"What's your name?"

"My name is Haku…"

"Nice to meet you! My name is Akia."

I don't remember much of what we were talking about. All I know is that I figured out that Haku's family was murdered and that he accidentally killed the people who were after him. I snuck out a few times to see him. A few days later, he stopped showing up. I was worried at first, but then we had to move again.

We went to another one of my father's underground hideouts. However, this time it was different. He introduced me to one of the people who worked with him. His name was Kabuto. For some reason, he asked my mom to wait for me in our room. He then took me to a room full of vials and needles. There were a lot of tools that I had never seen before.

Kabuto: "Are you sure, Orochimaru-sama, that her body will withstand it?" Kabuto asked my father.

Orochimaru: "What do you think I've been doing for these seven years? I was making sure that she would be perfect for this." My father replied. "As soon as I saw Shiroko, I knew that our child would be one of the most perfect test subjects. Our DNAs were a perfect match."

At that time, I was too young and naïve to understand any of this. If I knew, I would've tried to run away to escape the pain that I had to endure after that.

Orochimaru: "First things first. During all these years of research, I was finally able to combine portions of each of the bijuus' chakras. This will give birth to the Ten Tailed Beast. Of course, it will only be a very small portion of what the Shinju used to be. The more Akia grows older, the more powerful the beast will become. Now the first step is to put a curse mark on our little Akia."

My father looked at me with a big grin. His neck extended, and before I could react, a piercing pain shot through my whole body, starting from my neck where he bit me. I wanted to scream but the pain was too much that I ended up passing out.

I woke up to my mother's voice.

Shiroko: "We never agreed to this Orochimaru!"

She was screaming and I could hear her crying. I tried to move, but I felt something restraining me. I started to panic.

Shiroko: "You said that you wouldn't touch Akia! We made a deal that I'd let you continue your experiments and in return you wouldn't touch Akia!"

I started crying and screaming, feeling as though my neck was about to explode.

Shiroko: "Akia! My baby!"

I saw my mom running towards me, and then she stopped with a shocked expression. I saw her coughing out blood. I lowered my gaze and saw a sword piercing right across her chest.

Orochimaru: "I have no more need for you, woman."

I heard my father say with an amused voice.

I started screaming and crying even harder, then I felt an unbearable pain in my neck, and I fell unconscious once again.

I would regain consciousness once in while only to catch some bits of what my father and Kabuto were saying.

"Let's insert the bijuus' chakras now Kabuto."

"Yes…"

"We did it…"

"We were found out!"

"Surrender Orochimaru!"

The next thing I knew, I was alone in a dark place. I recognized the place as my father's hideout. I got up and felt a huge wave of exhaustion and pain wash over me. I managed to get out of the hideout, and found myself in a forest. I started wandering around, trying to find help or anything that would keep me going. I started remembering all the things that have happened to me. How my father, whom I trusted, killed my mother and used me as a test subject. This whole time, his only goal was to conceive the perfect test subject. I remembered that people had found the hideout. I remembered he tried to escape carrying me. I guess he hid me thinking he'd retrieve me later. I started feeling so much hatred towards him. As I was walking around, a bunch of ninjas in masks surrounded me.

"Is that the girl?"

"She fits the description."

"Get her."

What did they want from me? I thought at the time. What did everyone have against me?

"Stay away from me!"

Suddenly, I felt a huge surge of chakra extending from my body and grabbing each one of the ninjas. It was all so fast that I couldn't do anything about it. They were all drained of their life force and fell to the ground, as still as boards. That's when I started to understand what I had done. I killed these ninjas. Strangely, I didn't feel bad about it. They were the ones who attacked me! I felt a presence behind, and before I could turn around, I was knocked out.

When I woke up, I was on the ground. The second thing I saw were the bars that separated me from an old man in red and white clothes. I noticed the shackles around my wrists and ankles.

"So you finally woke up."

The old man calmly said to me. I sat up and looked at him with expressionless black eyes.

"So you are Orochimaru's daughter."

At the mention of my father's name, rage filled me. I didn't say a word though.

"You poor girl, going through all this at such a young age…"

I didn't look at the old man. I didn't want to trust anyone anymore. His words were all lies. I knew he didn't mean it. Even if they did sound real…

"How about we make a deal, you and me?"

This time I lifted my head and looked at him with a hint of curiosity.

"I will provide you with a home and all living essentials if you become a Konoha shinobi and go to the academy."

A Konoha shinobi?

"Are we in Konohagakure?"

My father's former village. The one he ran away from.

"Yes, we are."

If my father ran away from here, then there must be someone strong enough in this village that drove him away. If I learned from that person, I'd be able to get my revenge on Orochimaru. That was what made me take my decision.

"I accept."

"That was quite a fast decision. What's your name little one?"

"Akia."

"I am Sarutobi Hiruzen, Third Hokage of Konoha."

The Hokage… I've heard about the five Kages.

Third Hokage: "Now let's get you out of here."

A few days later, after I recovered my energy in my new home, a one room apartment, I started attending the Ninja Academy. Getting used to the training took me a while in the beginning. By the age of ten, I started getting used to it. I didn't approach anyone, and no one approached me, except that blonde haired guy. His name was Naruto. I didn't pay much attention to him, though. Most of the time, he was too busy picking a fight with Uchiha Sasuke. It was only a few days after I had arrived to Konoha that Sasuke's clan was exterminated by his older brother. He didn't talk to anyone, just like me. But people were oddly attracted to him. On the other hand, people tried to avoid me, having heard that I killed five Anbus before coming to Konoha. There was also the fact that I was Orochimaru's daughter that made those who knew him avoid crossing my path. Naruto was also avoided by everyone. The first time I met him, I felt something familiar sealed in him. It felt similar to a portion of what I had sealed inside of me. I didn't really mind having Naruto around. I just didn't want to get close to anyone.


	2. Becoming a Genin

Now, I am here, at the age of twelve, having passed the Academy test, waiting to know which team I will be a part of.

Iruka-sensei: "Akia, I received word from the Hokage that you will not be part of a squad."

Not part of a squad? Does that mean I can't graduate?

Naruto: "What do you mean Iruka-sensei?"

Iruka-sensei: "That has nothing to do with you!"

"What do you mean?"

Iruka-sensei: "Ehem… Yes… Your sensei has been specifically chosen for you. She's the only one who can teach you the right way. She will be waiting for you at the dango shop."

I get up and start heading for the door.

Naruto: "Good Luck!"

I stop in my tracks and turn my head slightly towards Naruto and a small smile manages to show for a short instant. I hurry out after realizing what I did. I don't even remember the last I smiled. Somehow, Naruto has that effect on people. No matter how closed a person is, he still manages to make them open up to him, even if just a little. It bothers me that I let myself smile so easily after everything that happened.

Finally there… I don't even know who my sensei is. I guess he or she will find me. In the meantime I guess I'll sit there. I feel a tap on my shoulder. I turn around and find a woman with purplish hair and a grin standing behind me. I guess she's my sensei.

"So you must be Akia."

"I am."

"I'm Mitarashi Anko, your sensei; just call me Anko-sensei."

Why was I assigned to her?

Anko-sensei: "You're probably wondering why you don't have a squad and why of all people they chose me as your sensei. Right?"

"You could say that."

Anko-sensei: "Come with me, I'll explain everything on the way."

I get up and start following her. There's something familiar about her. Something in her chakra…

Anko-sensei: "Let me just spill it out right now. I was Orochimaru's pupil back in the day, before he left the village."

So she kows my father. She probably knows his jutsu too. It might help me find a way to kill him.

Anko-sensei: "He gave you a curse mark, didn't he?"

How does she know about my curse mark?

"How do you know?"

Anko-sensei: "I sensed it, because I was given one too."

That's what felt familiar.

"Is there a way to remove it?"

Anko-sensei: "The only way I know of is if Orochimaru removes it himself."

We arrive at our destination. It's a strange room. It looks like a sealing room.

"Why are we here?"

Anko-sensei: "It's true that I don't know how to remove the curse mark, but I do know how to seal it. You'll be able to freely use your chakra after this."

That's a relief. Every time I used too much chakra, the curse mark would try to take over.

Anko-sensei: "Sit there. I'll get this done. It might burn a bit."

She says it with such a big smile. I wonder if she's some kind of sadist… In any case, I sit down on the floor in the middle of a sealing circle. I take my shirt off and she starts drawing the sealing signs on my back and neck. She does a few hand signs and touches my curse mark. It burns so much. It's almost the same pain I felt when I got this curse thing.

"Aaah!"

Anko-sensei: "Hang in there."

A few moments later, she gives me back my clothes. I feel exhausted.

Anko-sensei: "Well, the sealing was a success. Try not to overdo it today. Meet me at the training grounds tomorrow; I need to check out how strong you are."

On my way back to my apartment, I see Naruto also going back at the same time. His apartment is right next to mine. I guess that's where they decided to place orphans.

Naruto: "Hey Akia! Who's your sensei?"

"A creepy woman."

Naruto: "Haha! Must be tough. Our sensei is Kakashi. You heard of him?"

"A few times."

I'm a little exhausted and I want to go rest, but, somehow, Naruto makes me feel like I don't want to be alone. We, or more like Naruto, talked for a while. I just listened. Somehow it made me feel almost happy. It's been so long since the last time someone talked to me for so long.

Naruto: "Well, I'll see you later Akki-chan."

"Akki-chan…?"

Naruto: "The new nickname makes you sound less scary, don't you think? Hehe."

Less scary huh… I know why people are scared of me, but I still don't know why they won't get close to Naruto. It doesn't take a genius to notice how he's not very appreciated.

"Naruto. Why do people avoid you?"

Naruto: "Well… Uh…"

"I mean, I've always felt that there was something strange in your chakra."

It feels very similar to what's sealed inside of me. More like a portion of what's sealed inside of me.

Naruto: "You can sense that?"

"You can say that…"

Naruto: "Well, I guess I can tell you. You see, the nine-tailed fox, the Kyuubi, has been sealed in me since I was a baby."

So that's why… He's a Jinchuriki. He actually has the real thing inside of him, unlike me. I am only the result of an experiment that probably wasn't perfect.


	3. Snakes and first mission

I wake up the next morning, remembering that I have to go meet up with Anko-sensei for my training.

At the training grounds, I find her waiting for me, while eating dangos. She must really love those.

Anko-sensei: "So you have finally decided to show up."

"You're the one who's way too early."

Anko-sensei: "Hey don't talk to me like that, kid."

She really knows how to get on my nerves. Not even Sakura got on my nerves that much.

Anko-sensei: "Now, let's start by explaining what I'll be teaching you. Since you are Orochimaru's daughter, you have a natural connection with snakes."

"I never tried."

Anko-sensei: "That's what I'm here for. I was Orochimaru's student, so I know how to use snake techniques. Those techniques are about the only things I learned from Orochimaru before being inflicted with the curse mark. The base of all snake techniques is summoning. It is a pretty high level technique for someone who just graduated from the Academy, but I bet you'll be able to surprise me."

If it means it'll make me stronger, I'll do anything to be able to get back at Orochimaru.

"I'll do my best."

Anko-sensei: "Now then, let's tattoo the summoning contract on your arm. It'll be more convenient for quick summons."

I get the summoning contract tattooed and sign it with my blood. After all the procedures, Anko-sensei started teaching me the Hidden Shadow Snake Hands.

Anko-sensei: "Orochimaru can make then appear from his mouth too. You can figure that out by yourself. I don't like the idea of having snakes in there. Also, I think you might have noticed how he can extend his limbs and his tongue in unnatural ways. I think if you tried, you can also do it."

A few weeks of training pass and I am already able to summon bigger snakes and control them. My limbs aren't as stretchy as my father's though. I'll have to work on that. My Taijutsu is pretty average.

Anko-sensei: "You don't have the same eyes as your daddy?"

She said it with a little chuckle that made me sick.

"I do have them. I can make them appear whenever I want."

Anko-sensei: "Well that's impressive. I guess that's what happens when you don't only have Orochimaru's genes. Maybe you'll be able to undo your own curse mark someday."

"You think so?"

Anko-sensei: "I don't know. I'm just making assumptions here. In any case, the Hokage wants us to go get your first mission."

Finally! I'm the only one among all those who graduated who still didn't go on a mission.

We arrive at the Hokage's office. There's a drunken man at the door and I recognize Naruto's voice coming from inside the office. After they leave, Anko-sensei and I go inside.

Third Hokage: "Akia, Anko, I have a very important mission for you two. It might possibly rank as a B or even an A class mission."

"B class on my first mission?"

Third Hokage: "Yes. As you might have noticed, Kakashi's squad just left on their mission. We were told that it is a C rank mission. The reason why I am sending you is that I have some doubts on the information provided about that mission. They are to escort Tazuna, the bridge builder, to the Land of Waves. Your mission is to follow closely without being detected by any potential enemies. You are to aid Team 7 only as a last measure. Report everything to me whenever something unusual happens."

We set out after Naruto's team. We stay hidden in the trees while steadily following them.

"Anko-sensei, is this really necessary? There isn't much happening…"

Anko-sensei: "I'm actually starting to think the same thing, but it was the Hokage's orders. Can't do anything about it. Wait… I sense someone."

I look down and I see a random puddle. It seems like a ninja used some kind of jutsu to conceal himself.

"Should we attack him, Anko-sensei?"

Anko-sensei: "No. We can't take action except if it's necessary. Kakashi probably figured it out already anyway."

Just as Anko-sensei said, the battle went into Team 7's favour.

Anko-sensei: "The Third was right. This mission involves much more than just protecting a bridge builder from bandits. Come on, Akia. We have much more work to do than I thought."

"Are you going to contact Hokage-sama?"

Anko-sensei: "Not now… It's still a manageable situation. I'm sure we can handle it."

We cross the river and by the time we got to the other side, Team 7 was being attacked by a man carrying a huge sword.

Anko-sensei: "What? Momochi Zabuza is involved in this?"

"Who is that, Anko-sensei?"

Anko-sensei: "He's one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. This has gotten way worse than I expected."

"Should we interfere?"

Anko-sensei: "No, we'll wait and see what happens."

The fight goes on. It's on a totally different level from what I expected. I'm a little worried about Naruto. Just then, needles hit Zabuza's neck.

"Anko-sensei… Is he… dead?"

Anko-sensei: "Who…?"

We both look toward the direction where the needles were thrown. A young boy with a mask jumps down and takes Zabuza's body away.

Anko-sensei: "I don't trust this kid."

"Do you think he works for Zabuza, sensei?"

Anko-sensei: "I don't know. I just have a bad feeling about him."


	4. The Mysterious Boy

We camp outside, keeping watch. Late at night, Kakashi-sensei comes out and heads towards us.

Anko-sensei: "So you knew about us, Kakashi."

Kakashi-sensei: "I sensed you guys yesterday. The Third sent you, Anko?"

Anko-sensei: "He did. He had his doubts about the actual difficulty of this mission."

"We should report to the Hokage about the difficulty of the mission."

Kakashi-sensei: "Please don't. We promised Tazuna to keep this as a C mission, because of his financial problems."

Anko-sensei: "Are you sure?"

Kakashi-sensei: "Trust me, we can handle it. Now that you're here, it'll be even better. You should come in, since your mission as lookouts is over."

Anko-sensei: "I guess… You should alert everyone or they'll be surprised."

Kakashi-sensei: "It won't be that bad."

We arrive at the house to find everyone sleeping.

Anko-sensei: "We should get some sleep too, Akia. We're going to be more involved in this than we thought."

She's right. I need to be fully capable of fighting alongside Team 7 against whatever is waiting for us.

The next day, Kakashi-sensei explained the situation to Tazuna and his family, as well as to Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke.

Naruto: "Akki-chan! That's a surprise. I didn't sense you at all."

"I'm as sneaky as a snake."

I chuckled a little after saying that. I'm already in a better mood after talking to Naruto. I don't mind it that much anymore.

Sakura: "Well now that you're here, does that mean you'll be coming with us for practice?"

"Practice?"

Anko-sensei: "You didn't tell me you were going to hold a practice session Kakashi!"

Kakashi-sensei: "It's a given with what we have to go against. Why don't you join?"

Anko-sensei: "Heh. Akia will ace the training."

Anko-sensei might annoy me, but I feel like she trusts me a lot. She's probably the person I'm the closest to right now.

We get to the forest and there Kakashi-sensei explains to us the point of the training session.

Kakashi-sensei: "Today, you will learn how to climb a tree."

…What?

Naruto: "What? But we already know that!"

Kakashi-sensei: "You will be climbing trees using only your feet. Using your chakra, you will focus on the base of your feet. Too much chakra and you will break the tree. However, too little chakra and you will fall off. This will train your chakra control."

This should be a piece of cake. I already know summoning jutsu, so chakra control is a basic.

Anko-sensei: "Hey Kakashi, Akia is way ahead of this. She already knows summoning justsu."

Kakashi-sensei: "And you never thought of teaching her the basics first?"

Anko-sensei: "Look she was only assigned to me because she's Orochimaru's daughter. I'm the only one of his students that survived, after all. She's my first and only student; it's not my specialty."

I should start climbing the tree now.

Naruto: "Hey Akki-chan! Let's race!"

"Sure, why not."

Naruto: "Sasuke, I'm going to beat you at this."

Sasuke: "Let's see you try."

Sakura: "Come on guys, it's not that hard."

Sakura already mastered climbing trees. Smart. I'll catch up easily though.

Naruto: "Ready, set, go!"

I climb and climb. I'm at the top of the tree while Naruto and Sasuke barely manage to get to the middle.

Anko-sensei: "Told you Akia would ace it."

Kakashi-sensei: "Sakura, go look after Tazuna."

"Anko-sensei, can I go check on something."

Anko-sensei: "What something?"

"Well… Just trust me."

Anko-sensei: "…Fine, but be back by sunset."

Good. I need to find out who that boy is. He gives off a familiar vibe. Where do I start though? I should dispatch some snakes around to track him down. Wait, I don't have any clue what he looks like… I guess I'll just take a stroll around the stream and catch some fish.

The forest is so peaceful. The stream flows under my feet. I hear someone coming, but it doesn't feel threatening. I look up and see a very beautiful looking guy. He's wearing a pink sleeveless kimono. People who don't pay enough attention would mistake him for a girl. He looks at me with a smile.

"Hello, you're here to catch fish?"

His voice sounds so gentle.

"Yes, actually. You too?"

"Indeed. I'm out getting some supplies."

"Maybe I'm delusional, but you sound familiar."

"Have we met before?"

"What's your name?"

"My name is Haku."

Haku… Is he? It can't be!

"You used to live in Kirigakure?"

Haku: "How do you…?"

"You met a little girl there after what happened to your family."

Haku: "…Akia?"

I knew it! It is Haku!

Haku: "You suddenly disappeared. I was worried about you."

Haku: "I was… adopted you can say."

"Well at least things worked out for you."

Haku: "They did. How about you?"

"…It's…a long story."

Haku: "…Did something happen to your family?"

How did he assume that? From my expressions? My actions? My words? If you piece them together, it does come to that conclusion the most, but only highly observant people, namely ninjas, can pick up on these clues. Is he a ninja now? Who does he work for?

"Yes. I don't have a family anymore."

Haku: "I'm sorry. Were they killed?"

"Not all of them. My father killed my mother and now he's on the run."

Haku: "Why would he…?"

"He doesn't care about anything except his damn experiments."

Haku: "…"

Haku looks down and has a sad expression on his face. Why did I tell him all this? Was I expecting to find my young innocent friend suddenly back to comfort me when no one could? I remember that he did tell me about how his own father turned against him and his mother. He didn't know why, but I bet it was because of that strange power that killed everyone who came to attack him. If anyone knows how I feel, it would be Haku. Our situation is similar. Someone whom we trusted turned against us.


	5. Within the Mist

I go back to Tazuna's house while Haku is still on my mind.

Anko-sensei: "You're back. Found out something valuable?"

"Not really."

Where are Naruto and Sasuke? Are they still training? Anko-sensei is busy discussing the mission with Kakashi-sensei.

Sakura: "I guess it's just you and me, Akia."

"Where are Naruto and Sasuke?"

Sakura: "They're still out training."

"It's already this late and they still didn't get it?"

Sakura: "I want to go help, but they can't do it if they don't focus."

We keep talking for a few hours. I have to admit, talking to a girl my age is not as bad as I thought it would be. I was always annoyed at how Sakura and all the other girls are fawning all over Sasuke, but, behind that obsession, Sakura's fun to talk to. After a while, Naruto and Sasuke come in all drained out but with a triumphant look.

"You guys finally did it?"

Sasuke: "We climbed the highest trees in the forest."

The evening passes peacefully with a little bickering from both of them. Then, Anko-sensei comes to me and tells me that she has to go back to Konoha because she has to attend to some business regarding the upcoming Chunin exams.

Anko-sensei: "Stay with Kakashi's team and show 'em how good you are."

The next day, we set out to escort Tazuna to the bridge, while we leave Naruto sleeping to regain the chakra he spent the day before.

The closer we get to the bridge, the more worried I feel. I don't sense any snakes nearby. My summoning range is limited, I'm still not able to summon snakes that are further than a few miles. If there's ever a fight, I won't be of much use and relying on the Shinju's power is way too risky. It seems like I won't be able to "show 'em how good I am" like how Anko-sensei would've wanted. I should tell Kakashi-sensei about my situation.

Kakashi-sensei: "I see… You'll stick to Tazuna as much as possible as a last measure if anything happens."

I'll have to make sure to get some training done when we're done with this mission.

As soon as we arrive to the bridge, a thick mist forms. I sense a lot of chakra in this mist. It's controlled by a shinobi.

Kakashi-sensei: "Zabuza…"

Sakura: "But… Wasn't he killed?"

I look towards where Kakashi-sensei is looking and find Zabuza and the boy that appeared yesterday standing next to him. So the boy was working for Zabuza after all.

Kakashi-sensei: "Sakura, Akia, take care of Tazuna."

The fight starts with Kakashi-sensei going against Zabuza. After a while, Naruto appears, making a loud entrance. Everyone reprimands him about how a ninja should be swift and unnoticeable. After a little bickering and action, Naruto and Sasuke fight against the boy's mirror jutsu. An ice jutsu? That's pretty rare. Sakura and I are on our guards for any incoming attacks against Tazuna.

This mist… It makes it difficult to track the enemies' movements. Something is heading this way. It's Zabuza! He's swinging his sword at us! It's as if everything is happening in slow motion. Kakashi-sensei stands in front of us to intercept the attack. If we don't do something Kakashi-sensei will be sliced in half!

I feel a bit of the Shinju's chakra coming out.

I can sense snakes situated at a further radius.

"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands."

Snakes appear from my sleeves and stop Zabuza in his tracks.

Zabuza: "What? Snakes?"

Just then Kakashi-sensei uses a summoning jutsu and dogs of all sizes restrain Zabuza.

On Naruto's side, the mirrors are shattered and I sense the Kyuubi's chakra emanating from Naruto. I notice Sasuke on the floor with a lot of needles piercing his body.

Sakura: "Sasuke!"

Tazuna: "Sakura, I'll follow you, go to Sasuke."

At the same time, the boy's mask shatters from Naruto's punch and his face is revealed.

No way…

"Haku…"

Naruto's chakra goes back to normal.

Naruto: "You're… the guy that I met in the forest."

"Why, Haku?"

Haku looks at me and smiles. It's a very sad and kind smile.

Haku: "Zabuza is the only one who took me in and made me feel useful."

That's why he disappeared that day… Zabuza found him and took him in.

Kakashi-sensei: "Raikiri!"

Kakashi-sensei is about to make the final move to finish off Zabuza. Just then, Haku intercepts and gets hit by the Raikiri.

No way…

Kakashi jumps away with Haku in his arms and puts him down. I immediately run to his side.

"Haku… Why did you…"

Haku: "Zabuza… My only purpose in life is to protect Zabuza and to be his tool…"

Then… What am I? I thought he cared about me. I thought we became close. Does he only care about Zabuza's life? What about my life? Am I just being selfish?

"Haku… I always thought of you as a friend."

Haku: "Akia… I'm sorry I left… I…"

"Haku? Haku?"

I can't feel his pulse! He… He's dead? Tears? Am I crying…?

A bunch of shinobi appear and a short man in a suit orders them to attack. Zabuza charges in and kills them all and stabs the man who apparently is the one who hired him.

Zabuza then dies next to Haku, while apologizing for only treating him as a tool.


	6. The Boy Called Gaara

After ensuring the security of the bridge builder, Team 7 and I are on our way back to Konoha.

Haku… If I was stronger, maybe I could've saved you. I don't regret meeting you, though. When we get to the village, Anko-sensei spots me and comes to see me.

Anko-sensei: "Akia, you're back."

"Anko-sensei."

Anko-sensei: "I was getting things ready for the Chunin exam. I recommended you to enter. I have your pass right here."

The Chunin exams? Already? I need to be stronger than I am right now to be able to stand a chance in this.

Anko-sensei: "Since you don't belong in any particular team, it might be a little harder for you."

"Anko-sensei, when I saw Zabuza fighting with a sword, I got interested in Kenjutsu."

Anko-sensei: "Hmm… You're interested in swords now. It's a fact that Orochimaru's Shadow Snakes have blades in their mouths. I don't know how to use that jutsu but you should find an answer in some scrolls. As for Kenjutsu in itself, I'll go ask Hayate to help you with this."

I guess in the meantime I should try to find out how to get a sword out of a snake's mouth.

On my way to the library, I hear Naruto's voice yelling to put Konohamaru down.

Did something happen to Konohamaru?

As I approach the place where the voices are coming from, I find an older looking guy grabbing Konohamaru. He's wearing purple face paint and is carrying something on his back. A girl with four pigtails, who also looks older, is telling him to just drop the kid.

I would help but I have a feeling that Sasuke will intervene, considering he's sitting in a perfect position on a tree to do so.

Sasuke throws a little pebble at the guy's hand which makes him drop Konohamaru.

"You dare mess with me, kid?"

He takes the thing he's carrying on his back. It seems he intends to use it as weapon. This is getting bad, I should do something.

"Shadow Snakes."

Two snakes start coming out of my sleeves.

"Kankuro… Stop it."

Who…?

I look up towards the one who said that. It's a boy with red hair, almost like the color of blood. I call back my snakes. There's something about that guy. It's a similar feeling to the one I get from Naruto, but… darker. A conversation goes on between him and the others. I'm too fixated on that darkness to follow.

Sasuke: "And who are you?"

"Sabaku no Gaara. What's the snake girl's name?"

I guess it is rare to find someone with snake techniques.

"Akia."

The conversation ends after that.

Naruto: "Since when can you summon snakes?"

"Since a while ago."

That's true. Naruto doesn't know much about me. I'll tell him one day, but now I have to get to the library.

The day goes by without much disturbance apart from some dusty scrolls and annoying librarians.

While studying some snake techniques, I find a scroll about spying techniques. Apparently, there's a way to exchange two objects of the same composition and form using chakra. For example: a fake scroll and a scroll containing important information. That could be useful. It doesn't seem too hard to use either. I'll practice all these techniques later on today.

Anko-sensei comes to see me. She tells me that she arranged for some Kenjutsu lessons with Hayate starting tomorrow.

Days fly by and, before I notice, it's the Chunin exams' first day. I learned some Kenjutsu and I can now get swords from my snakes. I worked on stretching my limbs, but, until now, the only thing I can stretch is my tongue. I can stretch it pretty far to be honest. I bet if Naruto sees that he'd think it's the most disgusting thing ever. I'll have to play a prank on him, it'd be pretty funny.

I get to the place where I'm supposed to enter the exam room. I arrive pretty late so I'm one of the last ones to enter the classroom. There they assign me to my seat which is right next to that Gaara guy. Maybe I'll be able to learn more about him. He's emitting so much dark chakra; it's stirring the Shinju's chakra inside of me. I also notice how all of my old classmates are here. I wonder if any of them will make it.

Ibiki-sensei explains the rules of the written exam. No cheating. After five times caught cheating it will be an automatic failure for the whole team. It's a good thing that I'm not part of any team. At least I won't be brought down by any dumb mistake. A lot of Chunin proctors are lining up along the walls of the classroom to make sure no one cheats. Then again, it seems weird that it's after five times getting caught cheating that it counts as failure. Shouldn't it be after just one time?

With that said, we all start our exam.


	7. The Chunin Exams

This exam is way too difficult for Genin level. The more time passes, the more people start to cheat. The most obvious ones are caught right away, while a lot of others get away with it. There are those who are solving this with too much ease. Sasuke is using his Sharingan, while Sakura is using her brains. It's a lucky thing to be smart… Naruto is panicking. I wonder how he'll handle this. Even that Gaara guy is cheating, using some weird sand technique. Maybe that's actually the point of this whole test. It's to see whether or not we'll be able to gather information without getting spotted. Good thing I picked that exchange jutsu from the spy techniques scroll the other day. I'll just wait for one of those geniuses to finish their test and I'll exchange it with mine.

After waiting for about half an hour, one of those who knew the answers flips his paper face-down in a sign that he's done. It's time to act. I flip my paper face-down as well and concentrate my chakra in both pieces of paper. Let's see if it worked. I flip my paper face-up and… all the answers are there! Awesome trick. I'll use it more often. Not sure for what, though…

Ibiki-sensei: "It's time for the tenth question of the exam. If you get it wrong, you and your whole team will not be able to participate in the Chunin exam again."

What? Was this whole test meaningless? Even if I have no team members to drag down with me, if I get it wrong, I'll stay a Genin forever.

…How difficult can this question be? I'll risk it.

A lot of teams start leaving after what Ibiki-sensei said. Naruto raises his hand. It can't be that he's giving up? Not the Naruto I know… Or did I misjudge him? Just then, he slams his hand down on the table.

Naruto: "I'll never give up! I'm going to be the Hokage someday!"

That's more like Naruto. Gaara looks a little surprised. I got to say his expressions are almost all the same… It's hard to read him.

Ibiki-sensei: "Hm. You all pass."

"What? What about the tenth question?"

Ibiki-sensei: "The tenth question was all about whether you would've had the courage and the determination to stay, taking your comrades into account. On the other hand, the previous questions were to test your ability to gather information."

Ibiki-sensei talks about the importance of these qualities when suddenly Anko-sensei appears out of nowhere.

Anko-sensei: "Everyone listen up, I will be your second examiner. I won't be as easy on you as Ibiki was so be prepared."

Anko-sensei… It's so like her to enter in such a fancy way…

Anko-sensei: "The second exam will be early tomorrow in front of the Forest of Death. Don't you dare be late!"

I have a feeling this is directed towards me more than anyone else…

Everyone starts to leave. I think I'll gather some information on Gaara. I'll have to be sneaky; he looks like he could get dangerous. When the three sand ninjas leave, I start following them from far. They reach their room. Gaara doesn't talk much. On the other hand, Kankuro seems to be the most talkative. He really can't stop talking about almost anything, well mostly complaining from the few snippets of conversation that I got.

When they go in the room, Gaara doesn't do much. He just sits there staring into nothing. I should go get prepared for tomorrow, this is pointless. Why am I even interested in knowing more about this guy? Is it because of his chakra? That must be it. Now that I know where they're staying, I'll be able to check on them any time I want.

At night, I go back to see what the sand ninjas are up to. Apparently, the girl and Kankuro are asleep. Gaara seems to be the only one awake. He's sitting on the top of the roof. Judging by the dark circles he has, he barely sleeps, if he sleeps at all. A normal human would've been dead by now. I had a feeling he wasn't normal. Could he be a Jinchuriki like Naruto? Is that why I've been feeling that he has something similar to the Shinju? Am I just overthinking again?

Oh… He saw me…

I go up on the roof facing the one he's sitting on. We look at each other without saying anything. There's some tension in the air. It doesn't feel like he'll attack me though.

We're both not very talkative now, are we… We're observing each other's every move. My eyelids start to get heavy. I should get going.

"Good luck on tomorrow's exam."

His eyes widen slightly and he looks away.

In any case, I better go back and get some sleep. Tomorrow seems like it will be a long day.


	8. The Forest of Death

The next day, all the Genin who passed gather in front of the Forest of Death.

Anko-sensei: "Alright, everyone should be here by now so I'll go ahead and explain the rules."

I guess I made the right choice to wake up early today. Anko-sensei doesn't seem like she'll be lenient with anyone.

Anko-sensei: "You'll have to sign this consent form that will take off our backs all responsibility of any injuries or even deaths. You'll then either get a Heaven Scroll or an Earth Scroll. Your goal for this second exam is to collect both scrolls by any means possible and then reach the tower in the middle."

She's so easy-going about it… In any case, I'll just go get my consent form and my scroll.

I sign the consent form and get a Heaven Scroll. Everyone who has an Earth Scroll better watch out, because I'm planning on passing this second exam.

Anko-sensei: "Only the teams whose members all reach the tower within five days with both scrolls will pass this test. Except for you, Akia. You just have to make it alive on your own."

I figured that much out…

Anko-sensei: "Each team, go to your correspondent door. When it opens, the exam will officially begin. On your mark, get set, go!"

The faster I get this done, the easier it'll be. Now let's find a target.

"Heh. It's the girl without a team. She'll be an easy target."

Great… I had a feeling that I'd be easily targeted since I'm the only one without a team. Let's see who the first team I'm confronting is.

Takigakure ninja… They specialize in water style jutsu. Nothing I can't handle if things get ugly. I sense Gaara's chakra nearby. Is he watching? Maybe he's seeing this as a chance to snatch one of our scrolls.

"Look, how about we verify if we don't have the same type of scroll to avoid any meaningless fights?"

"Sure, you tell us what type you have."

They're totally lying. They don't intend to let me go after seeing my scroll, even if it turns out to be the same as theirs.

"Let's just kill her, the less candidates there are, the easier it becomes for us."

That goes for me too. I'll just have to get rid of them first. This forest is crawling with so many different kinds of snakes. It's the best setting for me. I can sense huge snakes around. I'm getting excited for this. I shouldn't waste my chakra on them though. A few snakes will do the trick. Their poison will paralyze them and slowly kill them.

"Water Style, Raging Waves Jutsu!"

They think they can get me with such a weak jutsu? I easily dodge it, while getting closer to them. Here's my improved Shadow Snake Hands jutsu.

"Many Hidden Shadow Snake Hands."

A lot more and larger snakes appear from my sleeves and attack the three Takigakure shinobi. In mere seconds, all three of them are bitten and fall to the ground, paralyzed. Just then, Gaara's chakra starts to move away. Was he there to just observe me? He could have been gathering information on my abilities. Good thing I didn't show everything I had. Now to check the type of scroll these guys had.

Lucky! An Earth Scroll! This exam isn't that hard after all. I should hurry to the tower. I want to check on Naruto's team, but they entered on the opposite side of the forest. It'll take forever to find them. I'm sure they'll be able to get through this.

On my way to the tower, my curse mark starts burning a little. Didn't Anko-sensei seal this damn thing? Why is it active? Something doesn't feel right here. The snakes are being called somewhere else. But where? And why?

I sense Gaara's chakra again. I start getting close to it. I see him and his team going against Amegakure genin. Suddenly, his sand wraps around them. Gaara then closes his hand into a fist, which causes it to crush his opponents. He didn't even move from his spot. I guess that's why his team fears him so much. Judging by the conversation they're having, they're siblings, and the girl's name is Temari. In the end I got to see some of Gaara's abilities too. Now we're even.

They go on their way to the tower, while I stay there trying to find the place where all the snakes are going. I'm close to knowing where they're going…

What? Whoever was attracting them went away. I'll have to tell Anko-sensei about this later. For now I should head to the tower.

I notice Kiba, Shino, and Hinata hiding in the bushes right across from me. They look frightened.

Hinata: "Ah! Akia."

"Hey. Did you get your scrolls?"

Hinata: "Y-Yes we did."

"Is everything alright?"

Kiba: "Didn't you see what that guy did? He stinks of blood."

"Each shinobi has his ways. Let's just not get him too pissed off."

Kiba: "So you got your scrolls?"

"Yes I did."

Hinata: "Let's head to the tower together."

"I'd rather not."

Hinata: "Oh…"

It's not that I dislike them, it's more that I prefer being alone.

Kiba: "Let's go Hinata. See you there, Akia."

"Be careful on your way there."

Hinata: "Thanks, we will, and you too."

She smiles at me. They leave after that. I should get going too before another team decides to select me as an easy target.


	9. The Preliminaries

Finally at the tower. Let's open these scrolls now. Anko-sensei, or more like an image of her is summoned in front of me.

Anko-sensei: "I knew you'd be able to get through this. You're my student after all! You made it here faster than I thought though."

"What do you think? I was the only one who was alone out there so I was the one who was targeted first."

Anko-sensei: "Ah that's why! Well you did a good job. Go and rest now."

"Wait, Anko-sensei… I sensed something strange a little bit earlier. The snakes were being summoned somewhere else in the forest."

Anko-sensei: "What? Last time I checked there were no snake users among the genin this year… I'll check it out whenever I can. Thanks for the information. I'll come and see your matches later."

So there are matches that will happen in the Chunin exams? Well I guess it's only natural. I'll have to get as much rest as I can to be in top shape for the matches ahead.

Only Gaara's team and Hinata's team have made it here so far. I hope Naruto won't have too much difficulty. I have to wait in this tower for more than two days. Let's hope they have food here.

I start exploring the tower. There's not much to see. There are some proctors here who provide us food whenever we need it.

Hinata: "Ah! Akia you made it."

"Yeah. Lucky I didn't get targeted on my way here."

The conversation ends there. Hinata is a pretty shy girl and I don't talk much so I guess it's normal for the conversation to die off quickly.

For the whole time I've spent in the tower, I noticed that Gaara never went to sleep even once. Contestants kept coming in, but Naruto's team was still not here. I'm starting to worry.

Finally on the last day, Naruto's team arrives at the last minute, and… What? What is he doing there? Why is Kabuto taking the Chunin exams? Wait if Kabuto is here, then that means… Orochimaru is also here?

Kabuto spots me and starts coming towards me.

"Why are you here?"

Kabuto: "None of your business."

"What do you want from me?"

Kabuto: "Just thought I'd say hi to an old acquaintance."

He chuckles. This guy makes me sick. I could tell the proctors right now about who he really is, but I want to get rid of him by myself.

"If you're here does that mean that Orochimaru is too?"

Kabuto: "I don't know what you're talking about."

At this point he's just playing dumb. I know now the reason why the snakes were summoned somewhere else. It was Orochimaru doing that all along.

Naruto: "Hey Akki-chan! So I see you met our new friend, Kabuto."

Friend? That sly little… He managed to fool Naruto's team. Wait, something seems weird about Sasuke. The closer he's getting, the more my curse mark starts to burn. It's the same feeling I had when I first met Anko-sensei, but it's way stronger. He also looks more and more in pain the more he gets closer. Don't tell me… He got a curse mark? But why? He looks at me and I look back. He did get a curse mark… And it seems he figured out that I have one too.

Naruto: "Akki-chan! You'll never guess what happened. We were attacked by someone who uses snakes just like you."

"…"

I knew it. Now it's all confirmed. Orochimaru is here.

We are all asked to stand in lines with our teams. The Third then appears at the front and starts explaining what is waiting for us.

Third Hokage: "The number of contestants that have passed until now is far more than what we expected. Therefore, there will be preliminaries held to cut down the number of contestants in half."

It seems like Hayate-sensei will be in charge of these matches. A wave of complaints from those who didn't have time to rest starts to rise. I just hope I won't go against Naruto's team or Hinata or even Gaara. The matches start. The first names shown on the board are Sasuke and Yoroi. I wonder how Sasuke will be able to fight with a fresh curse mark. It'll be hard for him to use chakra without getting taken over.

The match goes on and Sasuke only uses Taijutsu against his opponent. In the end it's his win. That's a relief. The curse mark didn't activate.

Next is… me. And Kabuto.

Perfect. It's my chance to get rid of him.

Kabuto: "Please go easy on me."

That sick smile… I look up and see Gaara looking intently at the match. I guess it's time for me to put my Kenjutsu into practice. I open my mouth and extract a sword out of the snake inside.

The match starts. Neither of us is charging in. We're observing each other. Chakra starts to form on his hands. I have a feeling I shouldn't let him touch me with this. I should check what it can do.

"Shadow Snake."

One snake from my sleeve rushes towards Kabuto with its mouth open, ready to bite. Kabuto easily cuts it in half with his hand. So that's what it does. I have to avoid his hands at all costs. He could even cut my sword in half, except if I also infuse my sword with chakra. That's not a bad idea actually. I do exactly that.

Kabuto: "Hm. You catch on fast."

Now it's time to charge in.

Just as I am about to swing my sword, Kabuto raises his hands.

Kabuto: "I give up."

What…? No way am I going to let him. I continue swing when one of the proctors stops my hand.

Dammit…

"Just you wait…"

Hayate-sensei: "Akia wins due to her opponent surrendering."

It doesn't feel like a win. Was Kabuto mocking me? I swear I'll get him. I'll kill both him and Orochimaru someday.


	10. Rock Lee's Defeat

The matches continue. Shino and Zaku battle it out. It ends up in Shino's victory. Kankuro's match ends up in his victory. Sakura and Ino are next. Never thought these two would fight in the preliminaries. Now that I'm looking more closely at Sakura, I notice that her hair is much shorter. What happened to Naruto's team in the forest…? Sakura and Ino's match ends up in a draw. Naruto, Temari, Shikamaru, Neji, Shino win their respective matches. Now it's Gaara's match. He's against Rock Lee. I wonder how it will go. Let's just hope Gaara doesn't get too carried away.

As the match goes on, Lee uses Taijutsu techniques to increase his speed and power. It goes to the point that Gaara's Ultimate Defense can't keep up with it. Let's see how Gaara will be able to get out of this one.

In the end, Gaara crushes Lee's left arm and leg. It ends up in Gaara's victory. These matches sure are brutal. Lee's being taken away by the medical nin just like how Hinata was. I hope Lee's going to be alright. I'd hate to see such a positive person down because of one match. Gaara is a pretty ruthless guy. He was really only aiming to kill Rock Lee. The match didn't really matter to him as long as he could kill.

The matches continue and ten genin are confirmed to be advancing to the final round: Naruto, Sasuke, Shino, Temari, Neji, Dosu, Shikamaru, Kankuro, Gaara, and me.

The order of the matches gets decided. The first match will be Naruto vs. Neji. The second will be Gaara vs. Sasuke. The third will be Kankuro vs. Shino. The fourth will be Temari vs. Shikamaru. The last will be Dosu vs. me.

Dosu is a sound ninja. Snakes react to sound. I'll have to find another way to defeat him. I have a month to figure it out.

Anko-sensei has been pretty busy lately. I bet it's because of Orochimaru being in the village. I'll have to practice on my own. I'll go read some scrolls about sound techniques. I bet I can find their weakness.

According to most of the information I gathered, sound is weak against wind. Problem is I don't know what my element is yet. I'll go get one of those chakra papers. Apparently I can find out what element I am from that. It would be perfect if I was a wind user.

I go purchase a chakra paper. According to what the seller said, I need to infuse a little chakra in the paper and the result will be according to how the paper reacts. Let's try it then. I infuse a little chakra and… the paper crumbles in my hand. That means… I'm an earth user? Out of all things. I should've figured it out since I have an affinity with snakes… Oh well. I guess I'll be able to block sound attacks with earth.

Hm… An earth dome seems like it would a good defense. Now after that I could create an earth shadow clone in there and then I could use the technique Kakashi-sensei used that Naruto told me about. I think it was called the Double Suicide Decapitation technique. That way, his arm will be sealed underground and I'll be able to strike a fatal blow to his head. Seems like a perfect plan, let's go practice these new techniques then.

On my way to the training grounds, I spot Gaara going towards the hospital. I doubt he's there to visit a sick friend… He has a scary expression on his face. Something is unsettling. I should follow him and see what he's up to.

He's going in Lee's room? Don't tell me he plans on finishing what he didn't have the chance to do in the preliminaries. I should stop him.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Gaara stops his sand that was already creeping up Lee's body and turns his head towards me.

Gaara: "Finishing unfinished business."

"He lost. What are you going to gain from killing him?"

Naruto: "Stop right there!"

Shikamaru's Shadow Possession jutsu immobilizes Gaara.

Gaara: "I will kill everyone to protect myself."

The Shinju starts stirring up again.

Gaara: "When I was born, I killed the woman who gave birth to me, because of a monster than was implanted in me."

So he is also a Jinchuriki.

Naruto looks surprised and terrified.

Gaara: "Since I was unstable, my own father sent people to get rid of me. They all died. That's why I will kill everyone who stands in my way."

His sand starts moving towards us when Guy-sensei enters and interrupts everything.

Gaara decides to leave it at that and heads for the door.

Gaara: "This isn't over. I'll kill you all."

I had a feeling something was up with Gaara, but I never thought it was to that extent. There are probably more things that happened to him than he let us know.

Later that month, I decide to go take a stroll on Konoha's roofs. Am I hoping to find Gaara there? Maybe. He intrigues me. The more I learn about him, the more I want to know. Speak of the devil, there he is. Wait is that Dosu? What is he trying to do? I get closer to be able to listen to the conversation.

Dosu: "If I kill you here, I'll be one step closer to battle against Sasuke."

Is he kidding? He's no match for Gaara. Why does he want to go against Sasuke though?

Oh great, Gaara's going to kill him. I have to do something. Dosu's my opponent in the final round. I won't let him die before trying my new techniques on him.

"Summoning jutsu."

I summon a giant snake that attracts the two guys' attention.

"Dosu's my opponent. I won't let him die until I defeat him in the final round."

With that, I make my snake trap Dosu in its mouth and carry him far away from Gaara where I drop Dosu off and undo the summoning. Because of all the commotion the snake did, a lot of ninjas woke up. Perfect, now Dosu won't be able to get close to Gaara tonight.


	11. The Final Round

It's finally today. The final round. I got my earth techniques down. I arrive pretty early so I go and find Anko-sensei.

Anko-sensei: "Ah… Akia."

She seems concerned about something.

"What's wrong, sensei?"

Anko-sensei: "You probably figured it out by now, but the disturbance in the forest…"

"Orochimaru is in the village, isn't he?"

Anko-sensei: "So you know… And another thing. Hayate was killed last night."

"What? By who?"

Anko-sensei: "That's classified."

Hayate-sensei helped me in Kenjutsu. I was kind of fond of him. It's a shame he died before I barely got to know him more.

The contestants start coming in. Most of us are there waiting for Genma, the one who's replacing Hayate in the final round, to finish explaining how it's going to work. That's strange. Sasuke is not here. If he's not here for his match, he'll be disqualified. Maybe it's better than facing Gaara… The first match starts. It's Naruto against Neji. Neji is a pretty skilled opponent. I wonder how Naruto will handle it.

The match ends in Naruto's victory. I feel so proud of him. It feels like it was only yesterday that he was the worst student in the Academy. Now he can defeat stronger shinobi.

Naruto's match is over. Now it should be Sasuke's match, but they decided to skip it to give Sasuke a chance, since so many people came just to see the "Uchiha kid". To everyone's surprise, Kankuro forfeits his match against Shino. This just puts Sasuke in a worse position.

Shikamaru battles it out with Temari. Damn that guy's smart. He ends up forfeiting as well though.

I guess it's now my turn. My earth techniques are all pretty much mastered except for the Double Suicide Decapitation technique. I didn't practice it on people. I only practiced on logs and most of them were crushed underground. I still can't really control its strength. Let's hope for Dosu this won't be his last match.

Dosu: "You interrupted me from killing Gaara."

"You would've ended up being dead."

Dosu: "Why do you care?"

"I care about all the effort I put into figuring out a way to defeat you."

Dosu: "Hahahaha. You'll never defeat me, kid."

With that he launches an attack from the device on his arm.

"Earth style: Earth Dome."

A dome made of rocks starts to form around me. His attack hits the dome and damages it. His attacks are stronger than I thought. I should hurry before the dome collapses. First, the earth shadow clone. Done.

Right after I make the shadow clone, the dome collapses to reveal my clone.

Dosu: "Did you think that a mere earth dome would withstand my attacks?"

He launches a sonic attack against my earth clone, which causes it to disappear in a pile of mud.

Dosu: "What…? A clone?"

"Double Suicide Decapitation jutsu."

Dosu: "!"

I grab his foot from underground and switch spots with him.

Dosu: "Argh!"

Dosu's bandages that cover his mouth get stained with blood. I knew it. I still haven't perfectly learned the jutsu.

Genma rushes in and takes Dosu out.

Genma: "Akia wins due to the death of her opponent."

I killed him? I had a feeling. I'll try to control my jutsu better from now on.

I look up to see Naruto and my former classmate's shocked expressions. I scan the crowd quickly and find Gaara looking at me. He looks annoyed. I bet he wanted to be the one to kill Dosu.

With my match done, there's only Sasuke and Gaara's match remaining. At last, Sasuke appears with Kakashi-sensei in a very spectacular way in the middle of the arena. Gaara starts heading down to the arena. I have a bad feeling about this.

Their fight starts and ultimately, Sasuke succeeds in wounding Gaara pretty badly using a chidori.

Gaara: "AAAAAAHHHHHH!"

Gaara's scream echoes in my ears. I don't know why, but I want to go help him. Am I sympathising with him? I shouldn't. I should just mind my own business. Wait. Where is this chakra coming from? I look behind me and see Kabuto casting a genjutsu. No way am I going to let him get me.

"Release."

The whole stadium falls into the genjutsu which causes them all to fall asleep. The only ones who escaped it are the Jonin, Chunin and some Genin.

The Third is being held hostage by the Kazekage? Looking closely, it's not the Kazekage… It's… Orochimaru! He takes the Hokage away and some of his ninjas form a barrier around them. At the same time giant snakes attack Konoha at the Gates. Gaara is being carried away by his siblings and Sasuke starts following them. That's a bad idea. He won't stand a chance against Gaara. Sakura undoes the genjutsu on Naruto and Shikamaru.

Kakashi-sensei: "All the genin that are available, go after Sasuke. Help him; he won't be able to fight all three of the Sand ninjas on his own."

I don't know what to do… Go after Orochimaru or Gaara? I swore to get revenge on Orochimaru, but… Gaara… Something terrible is happening to him I feel it in the Shinju's chakra. I need to go after him.

I rush first towards where Sasuke went, while Naruto is still regaining his senses.


	12. Gaara's Rampage

I finally catch up with Sasuke, but Temari tries to stall us.

"Out of the way."

Temari: "If you want to get to Gaara, you'll have to deal with me first."

Sasuke: "I'll deal with her and catch up with you, Akia."

"Alright. Make it quick."

I start chasing after Gaara again. I'm almost there… I can see him. Just then, Temari joins them again and Sasuke catches up to me.

"I thought you took care of her.

Sasuke: "I did but she escaped."

Kankuro comes to block our way.

Kankuro: "I won't let you get any further."

Shino then appears and attacks Kankuro with his insects.

Shino: "You guys go. I'll take care of him."

"Thanks, Shino."

Sasuke and I then resume our chase.

Sasuke: "Akia, go back. It's too dangerous."

"I know that better than anyone. That's why I won't go back, for both Gaara and your sake."

Sasuke: "Why for Gaara?"

"Because…"

Even I don't know the answer to that. Maybe it's because I can relate to him, in a way. That's probably it. But is it really just that…

Sasuke: "There they are!"

Gaara suddenly throws Temari away from him and faces us. He has an insane look on his face. This could be bad.

"Sasuke… I think he's no longer in control of himself."

Sasuke: "What do you…?"

Gaara starts entering his first Jinchuriki phase. Sand starts to cover half of his face and his right arm. It then takes the form of the bijuu that resides within him.

"We have to stop him. He'll only lose himself further if we don't."

Sasuke: "Chidori."

With his Chidori, Sasuke slices Gaara's beast arm off.

Gaara: "AAAHH!"

Gaara… His scream really squeezes my heart. But it's the only way to stop him. We'll have to keep going.

His arm grows back.

Sasuke: "I can't use any more chidori. I reached the limit."

"It's fine. We'll think of something else."

Sasuke: "We don't have time!"

Ah! My curse mark starts burning. I realize what Sasuke is doing.

"Don't rely on the curse mark Sasuke!"

Sasuke: "I have no choice!"

He uses another chidori because of the extra chakra he got from the curse mark. He's shoved away by Gaara before he could do anything.

"Sasuke!"

Sasuke: "I can't… move."

The curse mark drained his energy. I have to do something. I go to Sasuke and Gaara charges in to attack us. He's too fast, I won't be able to dodge the attack and protect Sasuke at the same time. I have to block it somehow.

"Snake barrage"

Snakes intertwine to form a wall in between us and Gaara. It won't completely stop the attack, but the damage won't be at full destruction. It'll at least shield Sasuke completely. Just as Gaara's about to hit us, Naruto sends him flying away with a kick while Sakura stands in front of Sasuke and me.

Sakura: "Is Sasuke going to be fine?"

"He will."

Gaara charges back at us.

"Sakura! Get out of the way!"

Sakura: "I won't let him harm you two!"

Gaara then pins her to tree with his beast arm and detaches a part to keep her there.

Naruto: "Sakura!"

This arm…! It's squishing her! She'll die if we don't get her out of there now.

While Naruto and Gaara are battling it out, I try to find a way to get Sakura out of there.

It's no use! It won't budge!

"Sakura, hang in there."

Why wasn't I a water user?! How am I supposed to fight earth with weaker earth? It's either that or superhuman strength. I could get superhuman strength from the Shinju. It's risky since it's not stable. I have no choice though.

With that said, I release the Shinju's chakra. I start getting covered in blue chakra and my arms starts getting covered in a layer of wood. With my arms, I am able to get Sakura out of the sand prison rather easily. I put her down next to Sasuke.

Sasuke: "What… are you?"

"Long story…"

Before I could finish my sentence, the Shinju's chakra disappears and I start feeling exhausted. I knew it wasn't stable enough. At least I did what I had to do. I'll have to trust Naruto on this one.

Please… Save Gaara…

The battle enters a large scale with a toad summoning from Naruto and Gaara completely losing control over the bijuu, therefore letting it out. Slowly my strength returns.

Naruto: "Chief Gamabunta! Can't you immobilize him? I can't wake Gaara up with this beast moving so much!"

Gamabunta: "Kid! Don't ask too much of me!"

If it's immobilizing you need, I can help with that.

"Summoning jutsu."

I summon a rather large snake that wraps itself around Gaara's bijuu.

Naruto: "Thanks, Akia!"

Naruto makes his way to Gaara who's situated on the bijuu's head and punches him. Gamabunta and the bijuu both start disappearing and Naruto and Gaara start falling. They get back up and Naruto gives the finishing blow. They both start falling. They'll be badly hurt if they fall like this.

I make the snake I summoned catch them both and put them down gently on the floor. I call my snake back after that.

Naruto starts leaping forward towards Gaara. He tells him how he sympathises with Gaara's childhood, considering the fact that he, as well, has a beast sealed inside of him. The closer Naruto gets, the more frightened Gaara's expression becomes.

Naruto: "But if you dare threaten my friends, I won't spare you, even if you had a horrible childhood."

"It's all good now Naruto."

Naruto: "Akia! How is Sakura?"

"She's alive."

A relieved expression washes off his face.

Gaara: "Why did you stop my fall?"

"Because we have been in similar situations."

Naruto looks at me confused.

Gaara: "I see…"

He probably sensed something about me and was just waiting for a confirmation.

Temari and Kankuro arrive to take Gaara back home.

Gaara: "Kankuro… Temari… I'm sorry."

I guess people can change after all. I feel a little bit of disappointment. Is it because Gaara's leaving?


	13. The Third Hokage

Back at the village, the news of the death of the Third Hokage has created an air of mourning.

The next day at dawn, his funeral is held.

Orochimaru escaped while I was chasing after Gaara. I've never hated being his daughter so much.

The funeral ends. Everyone go their separate ways to their home. Anko-sensei comes with me.

Anko-sensei: "Akia. There are things you still don't know about Orochimaru."

She's right. I barely know anything.

Anko-sensei: "I think it's time for you to know more about what happened in the past. I'll tell you at least what I know."

We go to the dango shop. There we both get some tea and she starts telling me more about Orochimaru.

Anko-sensei: "When Orochimaru was still a genin, his sensei was the Third. He was part of a squad that included a man called Jiraiya and a woman called Tsunade."

Jiraiya… Isn't that the man that Naruto kept talking about and the one who taught Naruto the summoning jutsu?

Anko-sensei: "They were later known as the Legendary Sannin because of their great strength. However, the team began falling apart when Tsunade lost both her lover and her little brother. It was also around then that Orochimaru started conducting secret research using test subjects to uncover and discover forbidden jutsu. I was one of his students back then. All the others died because of his experiments. I'm the only one who survived. Not long after, the Third found out about what Orochimaru was doing. He located his secret lab and caught him by surprise. However, Orochimaru managed to escape the village, even though he was wounded."

And that's how he collapsed somewhere where my mother found him.

Anko-sensei: "I thought it was your right to know this."

"Thank you for telling me."

On my way home, I find Naruto sitting on the edge of the balcony in front of our apartments. I go sit next to him without saying anything.

Naruto: "Akki-chan… The old man died to protect his village, to protect us."

I nod.

Naruto: "This just makes me want to be Hokage even more."

"Naruto…"

Naruto: "Orochimaru… That bastard. Not only did he attack us in the forest, but he attacked the village and killed the Hokage."

"I'm sorry…"

Naruto: "What? Why are you apologizing?"

"There're a lot of things that I haven't been telling you guys."

Naruto: "What do you mean…?"

"Naruto… I want to tell you about who I really am. Promise me you'll listen until the end without interrupting me."

Naruto: "What are…?"

"Promise me."

Naruto: "I… I promise."

This might make me lose Naruto as a friend, but I don't want to hide it anymore.

"Long ago, I used to live happily with both my parents. My mom was once a Kirigakure kunoichi. My father was… Orochimaru."

Naruto can't hide his shocked expression, but he doesn't interrupt me like he promised.

"I used to think that we were a pretty normal family. That was until that day he took me to one of his labs. There, he conducted experiments on me. I have something similar to what is sealed inside you and Gaara."

I don't think that I should give him too much information about the bijuu for now. I don't think this is the time for that.

"While I was being experimented on, my mother tried to save me from it. Orochimaru killed her for interfering. Later, people found his whereabouts. He hid me and escaped. I woke up alone in the lab, exhausted and drained. I found my way out and wandered around for a while. Some Anbu tracked me down and tried to bring me to Konoha. I was afraid. I was so afraid that I lost control and killed five of them. I was then knocked out and brought to a cell in Konoha. That's where I first met the Third Hokage. He gave me a place to live and food to eat in exchange for my devotion to Konohagakure. He's the one who saved me from becoming a monster. Without him… I don't know what I would've become."

I probably would've become full of hatred for everyone. Just like how Gaara was…

Naruto: "The death of the Third has nothing to do with you. You were a victim of Orochimaru just like a lot of others were. It doesn't matter if you're his daughter. What matters is what you believe in and what you choose to follow."

"Naruto… Thank you."

Naruto: "You'll always be Akki-chan to me. Orochimaru's daughter or not."

I feel so lucky to have met such a good friend.

I start walking around the village. Everyone is in black, including me, due to the Hokage's death. While lost in my thoughts, I bump into someone. I look up and see that I bumped into Sasuke.

"Sorry about that."

Sasuke: "Akia."

"Yes…?"

Sasuke: "What was that in the forest?"

"Like I told you, it's a long story."

Sasuke: "I'm listening."

"…I was a test subject."

Sasuke: "Of Orochimaru's?"

"Yes…"

He probably had a hunch because of my curse mark.

Sasuke: "We have the same curse mark. How did you get it?"

"When I was a test subject."

Sasuke: "Don't play dumb… Why were you a test subject?"

"I'd tell you… Just don't be too surprised."

Sasuke: "Go ahead."

"It when I was still living with my parents, before my father killed my mother."

Sasuke: "Why did your father kill your mother?"

"Because he's Orochimaru."

He looks shocked. Of course he would be. Just the fact that Orochimaru was able to have a daughter is a mystery itself…

I think I've told all those who had doubts about me. Except Gaara… It doesn't seem like I'll be able to see him anytime soon anyway…


	14. The New Hokage

Jiraiya and Naruto were gone on a journey to find Tsunade not long after the recent incidents due to Kakashi-sensei falling into a coma after confronting Uchiha Itachi. I don't know much of the details, since I wasn't there. All I know about Itachi is that he wiped out his clan, but let Sasuke live. At the village, everyone works to fix the damages caused by the attack. Anko-sensei finds the time to teach me more things.

Anko-sensei: "So Akia, you were able to figure out what your element was on your own."

"Yes, since you were so busy."

Anko-sensei: "I saw your match and it seems like you need to control it a little better. You killed the poor kid."

She starts chuckling. The more I spend time with her, the more I start believing that she's a complete sadist…

Anko-sensei: "So, control will only come from using your jutsu over and over. That way you'll be able to figure out the amount of strength to put into it. Now then, I want to try something else with you. As you know, I'm a fire user, among other elements."

"I do know that much."

Anko-sensei: "Good! So you should figure out what I'm planning, right?"

"No…"

Anko-sensei: "You're so gullible… I want to teach you some fire techniques. Even if fire is not you primary element, it can become your second."

"That would be useful."

Anko-sensei: "Of course it would be. Now let's get started."

That becomes the goal of all our training sessions. The jutsu she's aiming for me to learn is the Dragon Fire technique.

Anko-sensei: "It's basically a technique where you breathe fire along any long object. When you get better at it, you'll be able to use it on any line in general, for example, a line of enemies."

"That sounds pretty interesting."

Days pass and I feel like all I've been doing is practice. It's alright though, since I want to get stronger.

A few days later, Naruto and Jiraiya finally make it back with Tsunade. She looks so much younger than I thought.

Naruto: "Hey Akki-chan, come with us. Old Lady Tsunade is going to go check Kakashi-sensei and Bushy Brows conditions."

"She's checking Lee too?"

Naruto: "Yeah she's amazing she'll be able to heal him."

Lee's condition hasn't been getting better since Gaara crushed his bones. I hope he'll be alright.

We all get to Kakashi-sensei's hospital room. Tsunade wakes him up from his coma without much difficulty. She then goes to Lee's room. His case, however, wasn't as easy as Kakashi-sensei's. It turns out that he'll need to undergo a surgery that has 50% success rate. If it doesn't succeed, he might die in it.

After the check-ups, Tsunade goes to the Hokage mansion. From what I hear, she will be named the Fifth Hokage.

Later that day, we learn that Shikamaru becomes a Chunin thanks to his impressive display of highly intelligent tactics in the Chunin exams.

Man… I bet I would've become a Chunin if I didn't kill my opponent…

Soon, everyone becomes busy with missions and Konohagakure's repairing plans. The genin are being assigned B-rank missions due to the lack of Jonin available.

Shizune: "Akia! Lady Tsunade is asking for you at her office."

I guess it's my turn to go on a mission. I enter Lady Tsunade's office to find Jiraiya there as well.

Lady Tsunade: "Come in."

I go in and close the door behind me.

Jiraiya: "So you're Orochimaru's daughter? Much prettier than what I thought he'd have. Your mother must've been a beauty."

Lady Tsunade: "Jiraiya! Well… I have to admit that too."

They must've been close to Orochimaru at some point in the past.

"Did you call me for a mission, Lady Tsunade?"

Lady Tsunade: "Yes, but not just that."

"…What is it?"

Lady Tsunade: "I want you to tell us how you ended up as a Konoha kunoichi considering that Orochimaru was a rogue ninja when you were born. Also, tell me everything you know about Orochimaru. I'll tell you whatever you still don't know."

I start telling her about how he experimented on me and how I ended up in Konohagakure. I also tell her all that Anko-sensei told me about Orochimaru.

Lady Tsunade: "I see… Akia, do you know who the Akatsuki are?"

"I heard that they're a bunch of rogue ninjas, but that's about all I know."

Lady Tsunade: "You don't need to know much more for now apart from the fact that Orochimaru was once part of them. The reason he left is still unknown to us however."

Great. He keeps sinking lower and lower…

Lady Tsunade: "Another thing, as long as you're a Konoha kunoichi, I don't want you to let the fact that you're Orochimaru's daughter drag you down. You're not like him, from what I've heard of you."

"I will never be like him."

Lady Tsunade: "That's the way. Now about your mission…"

She goes through a few documents and starts explaining what I have to do.

Lady Tsunade: "We found strange traces around the border between the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire. I just want you to go there and investigate it. Come back with all the information you can gather about that place."

"I'll be going alone?"

Lady Tsunade: "Since there're no shinobi available here and your mission is at the border of the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind, a Sunagakure shinobi will assist you in the search. You have three days until the time you are supposed to meet up with him. Get ready and head out whenever you can. If you're fast enough, you can get to the location within less than two days. Now you may go."

"Yes, Lady Tsunade."

Sunagakure? Isn't that Gaara's village? Why am I feeling excited, almost happy, just hearing about it…?


	15. We meet again

Today is the day I will set out from my mission. I feel kind of excited to leave the village alone. I'm curious about the person I'll be conducting this mission with. He's from Sunagakure… I hope we'll be able to get along. At least get along enough to complete the mission.

Time to go. I leave through the village gates.

The forest is pretty peaceful. The fresh breeze flows through my hair.

Before I know it, it's nightfall already. I need to set camp somewhere. One of my earth domes will be a good enough shelter for the night.

I eat some food pills and fall asleep on a bunch of dead leaves.

The next day, I start moving again towards my destination.

After a while, I start seeing the end of the forest and the start of the desert. Finally… Almost there.

I reach the meeting spot and look around to find the person I'll be working with. There doesn't seem to be anyone here yet. I guess he might be running late. We should've had our meeting spot at the place we're investigating instead of here. At least then I would've been able to look around the place while I'm waiting. I guess they didn't want any of us to act on their own.

I sense someone coming. I guess that's my partner. I turn around to see who it is.

"Gaara! You're my partner?"

Why do I feel so happy about that?

Gaara: "Yes. You're Akia, right?"

"You remember me?"

Gaara: "Of course."

"So about the mission… We should head to where we're supposed to investigate."

Gaara: "Let's go."

We start heading towards the mission location. None of us say much for a while. Gaara then breaks the silence.

Gaara: "When you said to me that you've been in a similar situation to mine…"

He hesitates to continue.

"You're curious about it?"

Gaara: "Maybe."

"You have the right to be."

Gaara: "Do you think I have the right to know?"

"I don't mind telling you. I mean… I know more about you than you know about me."

Gaara nods.

"When I was a kid, my father experimented on me. He placed a beast inside of me, something similar to what you and Naruto have. He also gave me this curse mark."

I show him the mark on my neck.

"Before he could continue his experiments on me, his hideout was found out. He hid me and escaped. I woke up after that and managed to get out of the hideout. Soon after, some Konoha Anbu tracked me down and wanted to take me with them. I was scared and unstable at that point so I killed five of them… Nonetheless they captured me and I woke to find myself in a cell. That's when the Third provided me a shelter in exchange for my devotion as a kunoichi of Konohagakure."

Gaara: "You've been through a lot."

"I'm not the only one. I heard your father was killed by…"

Gaara: "Orochimaru. You know him?"

"He's… my father."

Gaara stays silent for a while. What's he thinking…?

Gaara: "It doesn't matter who killed him as long as you don't feel guilty about it."

"Thanks for caring."

He really changed a lot since the Chunin exams. I'm glad it was for the best. It's nice to be able to speak to a quieter person, since the other person I talk to the most is Naruto.

Gaara: "That's the location."

"That's…"

Seeing the surroundings, I realize where we are.

Gaara: "You know this place?"

"That's… one of Orochimaru's older hideouts."

Gaara: "You'll be fine?"

I can't believe I'm going back to this place… I was around five when we came to this hideout.

"Yes. I'll be fine."

Gaara: "Do you know where the entrance is?"

"If I remember correctly, you have to place this rock like this…"

I start placing the rocks in the pattern I remembered Orochimaru do.

"Then we have to infuse it with chakra. I don't think it will open without Orochimaru's chakra."

Gaara: "Try your chakra. I think it might recognize yours."

Probably… I'm his daughter so I probably have the chakra that's closest to his. It's worth a try. I concentrate my chakra and a hole in the wall materializes.

"It opened."

Gaara: "Let's go."

"We should be careful. Most rooms are booby trapped."

Gaara: "Do you remember the place?"

"I only know the rooms that mom and I could use. I don't know the rooms my father used."

Gaara: "We don't have a choice, then. We'll go through each room."

He's right. We're just going to have to be on our guard.

"I know that a lot of traps involve a snake summoning jutsu that activates when the door opens. Those won't be much of a problem for me. The ones that can be more of a problem are the elemental ones. If I remember correctly there's at least one room that shoots fireballs when it's opened."

Gaara: "I'll shield us."

Perfect. Let's get this investigation started.


	16. The Hideout

Just like most of Orochimaru's hideouts, this one is like a maze.

Gaara: "I should be the one opening the doors."

"Be careful."

The first few doors turn out to be empty. No traps, no valuable information. We start checking the second corridor.

"This is the corridor where my room was."

Gaara: "Which room was it?"

I go to the fourth door on the left and point at it.

"This one."

I reach for the doorknob when Gaara's sand stops me.

Gaara: "He might've trapped it."

"Oh, that's true. I'm just so used to opening it right away."

I move aside to let Gaara open it. As soon as he opens the door, two shuriken are thrown at him. His sand blocks them immediately.

"Who threw those?"

Gaara: "Them."

He points at the room. I look inside and I see two shinobi there. They don't seem… alive. They have a dead look in their eyes. If I remember correctly, Orochimaru used to talk about how he'll be able to discover a jutsu that brings the dead back to life. Could this be what he was talking about?

Gaara: "Watch out!"

Gaara covers me with his sand just in time to block an attack from one of them.

Gaara: "Don't space out."

He's right… This is no time to get lost in my thoughts. We need to take care of those two first.

Gaara: "Sand coffin."

Gaara manages to squish one of them in his sand. One more to go… Wait… What?

"They regenerate?"

Right in front of our eyes, the one that we thought we got rid of starts coming back together. Their bodies don't seem like they're made of flesh either. It almost looks like paper when they regenerate.

Gaara: "There has to be some way to get rid of them."

Fire techniques might do the trick.

"Gaara, I have a plan. I'm not sure if it'll work, though."

Gaara: "What is it?"

I throw him a kunai with a thread attached to it.

Gaara: "I see…"

He does exactly what I want him to do. He restrains one of them with the thread while I do the same with the other one.

"Hold him there until I'm done with this one."

Let's see how effective Anko-sensei's jutsu is.

"Fire Style: Dragon Fire jutsu."

Fire travels through the thread and immediately consumes the ninja I restrained.

"It worked!"

Gaara passes me the thread he's holding and the other ninja shares the same fate as the previous one.

They don't regenerate after that.

Gaara: "Let's go in."

This room is so familiar. This is where Orochimaru started making me go through tests to see if I was good enough for his experiments. I don't want to go in there… I don't want to remember any of this…

Gaara: "Akia, are you alright? You're shaking."

I didn't even notice how badly I was shaking…

"I'll be fine."

Gaara: "You can stay there while I take a look around if you want."

I really want to just agree to that, but I have a mission. I need to complete my mission fully. I can't let my emotions get the best of me. As soon as I step into the room, a flood of memories washes over me.

'Akia, be a good girl and give me your arm. It'll only sting a little.'

'Take off your clothes now. We need to check your pulse.'

'Take her blood samples.'

'I don't want to, daddy! It hurts!'

'You will listen to what I say without arguing!'

Gaara: "Akia!"

I snap out of it to find Gaara holding my shoulders.

"What… What happened?"

Gaara: "I should be the one asking that. You were holding your head and you kept apologizing and muttering that it hurts."

"I… I just remembered some things…"

Gaara: "Tell me whenever you feel uncomfortable. I'll try to help you."

I can't help but feeling relief at what he said, even though I know very well that he can't help me. Just the idea of him willing to help me makes me feel safer…

We continue with our investigation of the hideout. As I thought, a lot of rooms were booby trapped, but nothing that we couldn't handle. In the end, all we found out is that this was Orochimaru's abandoned lab where he researched the Reanimation jutsu. On our way out, I notice a trap door that we didn't see before.

"Gaara, wait. There's something there."

We go see where the trap door leads. As soon as we open it, a horrible smell pierces throughout my nostrils.

"What's in there?"

As we go down, the smell becomes worse.

Gaara: "It's too dark to see anything."

"I have snake eyes. I can see in the dark. Let me just activate them."

I close my eyes and reopen them. Even though it's a shorter range, I can still see better in the dark with these eyes.

Gaara: "What do you see?"

"Nothing much, just a few tables and…"

Gaara: "And what?"

"Bodies…"

Gaara: "Bodies?"

"Bodies that have been opened in several areas… There are vials with different limbs too…"

Gaara: "Do you think these were some of his earlier test subjects?"

"Probably… Wait… Some of them have bite marks on them. Snake bites. There are some fresh marks. It seems like it wasn't so long ago."

Gaara: "Is there a snake living down here?"

"Maybe… Something moved over there! Stay here I'll go see."

Gaara: "Scream if there's anything."

I smile at his statement. Good thing he can't see that. I approach the place where I saw some movement.

"It's… a white snake?"

I've never seen any snake so white before. It doesn't seem too hostile around me.

Gaara: "Don't let it bite you."

"It's okay; I'm immune to most poisons."

The snake looks at me and starts approaching me. I let out my hand. It bites my arm.

"Ow… Take it easy little guy."

Gaara: "Did something happen?"

"Don't worry it's nothing."

I don't remove my arm and wait for it to let go. Eventually it lets go and crawls up my arm. I guess it recognized my blood.

"I'll take good care of you."

After that, I go back to Gaara.

Gaara: "It bit you?"

"It's nothing big. It needed to recognize me as a snake user."

Gaara: "You're something else…"

What does he mean by that? It doesn't matter. I'll take it as a compliment. A very happily accepted compliment.

We get out of the hideout.

Gaara: "This is where we'll part ways."

"It was nice having a mission with you…"

Did I actually say that? What am I thinking? Why did I say that?

Gaara: "Same here."

Did he actually say that? Why am I getting all happy about it?

Gaara leaves and I leave in the opposite direction. I can't help but feel a little sad that I won't be able to see him for a while.

The snake licks my cheek.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about you. I'll have to give you a name someday. I'm no good at it though. You'll help me fight like Akamaru helps Kiba. I'll see what I can do with you."


	17. Sasuke's Wavering

Back at the village, Sakura tells me about how Naruto and Sasuke had a fight. However, it wasn't like most of their usual fights. This one was much more serious.

Sakura: "They could've been both killed if Kakashi-sensei didn't interfere…"

"What's gotten into them? They're not usually like that."

Sakura: "I really don't know…"

I'll get to the bottom of this after I finish reporting to Lady Tsunade about my mission.

At Lady Tsunade's office, I tell her about how the suspicious place was actually one of Orochimaru's older hideouts.

"We cleared most of the booby traps in there, so the specialised Jonin can investigate the place more in depth."

Lady Tsunade: "Good job, Akia. And may I ask what that snake around your neck is?"

"That's my new pet snake, Neiko. It's a very rare type of snake. We found it in the hideout."

Lady Tsunade: "We should investigate it."

"No one around here understands snakes better than me."

Lady Tsunade: "…Fine. If you find anything about that snake, report to me immediately."

"Yes, Lady Tsunade."

At home, I put Neiko on my bed.

"This is your home now. I have things to do so I'll be back later. I'll bring you food on my way back."

Neiko just starts crawling around on the bed. I leave to go find where Naruto is.

I find him at Ichiraku Ramen.

"Naruto."

Naruto: "Ah. You're back."

"Yes I am and I heard something from Sakura that I want to ask you about."

Naruto: "She told you?"

"She did. What's wrong with you and Sasuke."

Naruto: "He's the one who started it! He's been acting weird for a while. He challenged me to a fight after coming back from our mission. He's being lectured by Kakashi-sensei right now."

What has gotten into him? He's supposed to be pretty cool headed. I would expect Naruto to challenge him to a fight first.

The sun is down already. I have to get Neiko some food. Rats will do the trick.

"We were once as weak as you, Sasuke. However, joining Lord Orochimaru has made us that much stronger."

What? Who's talking to Sasuke?

It's those ninjas who were with Orochimaru when the village was attacked.

"Join us, Sasuke."

They leave after that. Don't tell me Sasuke is considering it. He wouldn't right? He comes down from the tree and heads to the village gates. He is accepting such an offer? Does he know what he's getting himself into?

I follow him to make sure that these were his true intentions. Sakura stops him. I can't hear what they're saying, but after a bit Sasuke knocks her out.

"Sasuke!"

Sasuke turns towards me, surprised.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Sasuke: "It's none of your business."

"You're planning on going to Orochimaru…"

Sasuke: "I guess you heard everything."

He makes his way to the gates. I rush in front of him.

"I won't let you."

Sasuke: "Out of the way. I don't want to have to hurt you, Akia."

"I'd like to see you try. You don't know what you're getting yourself into."

Sasuke: "I know very well that it's what I need to get stronger."

"You don't know Orochimaru. Do you think he'd just give you more power if he didn't have another ulterior motive to it?"

Sasuke: "He probably does, but I don't care. I'll get what I want somehow."

"You don't know him."

Sasuke: "And you don't know me."

With that he leaves so fast I have no time to try and stop him. When it comes to speed, he definitely beats me… I feel so useless all of a sudden. I can't believe I didn't try harder to stop him! I bring Sakura back to her home and I go back to mine.

"Neiko, here's your food. Sorry I took so long."

Neiko hisses in annoyance.

"I said I'm sorry. I had some problems along the way. Anyway, here, I brought you some big juicy rats."

Neiko gobbles them one after the other. It must've been pretty hungry. I kind of feel bad about not coming back sooner. It's not like I did any good trying to stop Sasuke. What will Naruto do when he finds out? I'll have to tell Lady Tsunade first thing in the morning. The morning is not that far anyway. It doesn't look like I'll be getting much sleep tonight.

I wake up feeling something heavy on my stomach. I open my eyes and…

"Neiko! You almost doubled in size?"

Was it just a baby when I found it? Or am I hallucinating? Its length is around the same as mine. That's right! I have to go tell Lady Tsunade about what happened.

Before I could even get out of bed, I hear someone knock hastily on my door.

Naruto: "Akia! Akia! Are you there?"

I guess someone already told him. Then, Lady Tsunade must also know.

"I'm coming Naruto."

I get up and try to leave Neiko on the bed, but it doesn't want to let go.

"You want to come along? Fine. Just don't gain any more weight."

I open the door to find a frantic looking Naruto.

Naruto: "Sasuke…"

"I know… I tried to stop him… But I was no good."

Naruto: "It doesn't matter. I'm gathering people who will be able to join our mission to go after him. Old Lady Tsunade assigned Shikamaru as leader for that mission."

"I'm in."

It's the least I could do for letting Sasuke go.

Naruto: "Great! And what's with the huge snake?"

"It's Neiko. It'll also be joining us."


	18. I'll Protect You

We set out after Sasuke. The members of the retrieval team are Naruto, Neji, Choji, Kiba, me with Shikamaru as the squad leader.

Naruto: "We'll definitely bring Sasuke back."

I hope so. Sasuke seemed pretty determined to leave the village. Just what does Orochimaru want with Sasuke anyway?

We finally manage to catch up to them. They were resting. There were traps everywhere around them to alert them of anyone nearby. According to Shikamaru's plan, he wants us to fall into their trap so that he could cast his Shadow Possession jutsu.

Everything goes according to plan, except that we didn't count on them being able to escape it. One of the sound ninjas traps us in a dome made of stone.

Kiba: "I'll just have to break this dome down then."

Shikamaru: "Try it. We got nothing to lose."

Kiba: "Twirling Fang!"

"You made a dent!"

Kiba: "You see that! Wait what…?"

The wall… rebuilds itself? This is different from any normal earth dome.

Neji: "He's sucking out our chakra!"

Neiko starts hissing and getting agitated.

"Calm down. We'll make it out."

I guess Neiko is feeling that something is wrong with this structure as well.

Neji: "Akia… Your snake shares the same chakra as you."

"How can a snake have chakra?"

Neji: "I don't know, but according to what I see, it's like it has become an extension of you. You'll be losing chakra much faster than any of us, since it is shared between you and your snake."

Naruto: "Shikamaru! How do we get out of here?"

"Aaah!"

Kiba: "Akia! What's wrong?"

"My… chakra…"

Neji: "Her chakra is changing…"

The curse mark is trying to take over. I can't…

Naruto: "Akia!"

I black out.

When I come back to it, I realize that the earth dome is gone.

Shikamaru: "Way to go Choji."

Kiba: "Akia, you've regained consciousness?"

Neji: "Your chakra sure regenerates fast."

Neiko is still with me. That's a relief. My curse mark still burns a little.

Choji: "You guys go ahead. I'll take care of this."

Naruto: "Are you sure?"

Choji: "Yes! Now go catch up to Sasuke!"

I can't help but feel a little worried about Choji. I just hope he won't die.

We continue our chase when another sound ninja intercepts us. This time, Neji distracted him long enough for the rest of us to go after Sasuke.

We catch up with the two remaining sound ninja. We start fighting against them when Kiba drags one of them and falls down the cliff.

Naruto: "Kiba! Akamaru!"

That's when a shinobi I've never seen before appears.

"Tayuya, why are you taking so long to bring the vessel?"

Tayuya: "Kimimaro? Why are you here?"

Kimimaro: "Lord Orochimaru couldn't wait any longer. I came here to get the vessel."

He takes the barrel where Sasuke is and leaves.

Shikamaru: "Naruto, Akia! Go after him I'll take care of the girl."

"Okay. Let's go Naruto."

We catch up to Kimimaro and engage in battle.

Naruto: "Give Sasuke back! Shadow Clone jutsu!"

The shadow clones charge at Kimimaro, but he easily gets rid of them using… his bones?

"A Kekkei Genkai?"

Kimimaro: "You're an observant one."

I should try to use my Dragon Fire jutsu. I wrap a thread around him.

"Dragon Fire…"

Before I could finish casting the jutsu, he has already broken free by cutting the cord that restrained him with bones that came out of his arms.

No matter how much we attack him, it's no use. He counters everything. There has to be a way…

Naruto: "Sasuke!"

I look towards where Naruto is shouting. Sasuke is coming out of his coffin and starts running away from us.

"Naruto. Go after him. I'll take care of things here."

Naruto: "I can't just…"

"Leaf Hurricane!"

Lee! He's healed?

Naruto: "Bushy Brows! I thought you were in rehabilitation."

Lee: "What better rehabilitation than actual fighting! Go after Sasuke, Naruto! We'll take care of things here!"

With that, Naruto goes after Sasuke.

"Lee. This guy uses his bones as a weapon and a shield. He can do almost anything with them."

Lee: "I see… I'll just beat him with speed and power!"

That's something we didn't try… At least not at Lee's level.

Lee is handling himself pretty well with Taijutsu. He even drinks sake to become even stronger. That's a strange way he discovered…

Soon though, Lee starts losing his strength. I want to help, but if I use my shadow snakes, they'll be all sliced away. My sword is not nearly strong enough against these bones of his.

"Neiko… Do you have any ideas of how to help Lee?"

I hold Neiko from under its head and look at it. Something starts forming inside its body. Its consuming my chakra away really fast…

"What are you planning, Neiko? If you keep doing this, I'll faint again."

Soon, though, it stops absorbing my chakra.

"What did that accomplish?"

Neiko opens its mouth and I see a sword handle. I take it and pull out a very long katana-like sword. The only difference between it and katana is that the blade is covered in white scales. The blade's edges had scales sticking out from both sides making it look very sharp.

"You never told me you could do that!"

I guess that's what happens when I join forces with a snake. Time to see how strong this sword really is.

"Lee, get some rest. I'm going to try something."

Lee: "I… I'm okay…"

He collapses. He's anything but okay…

"Kimimaro, I'm your opponent now."

Kimimaro: "Interesting. Lord Orochimaru's own daughter. If you didn't run away, you would've been much stronger than now. It's not too late to go back to where you truly belong."

"I'd rather die than go back to that power-hungry fool."

I charge in. I swing my sword at him. He blocks it with his bone blade. It cracks a little. He attempts to kick me, but I back up.

Kimimaro: "I'm surprised. You left a crack in my bones with a mere sword."

"It'll be much more than a crack when I'm done with you."

I charge in again.

Kimimaro: "Dance of the Larch."

Many bones reflect my attack back cut a wound in my left arm. My Kenjutsu skills are still too average to go against someone of his level. Having Neiko hanging on to me makes me slower too…

"Neiko, get off. I need to deal with this I'll come back to you after."

Neiko gets off reluctantly. I attack him again, but it's no use. His skills are much better than my Taijutsu and Kenjutsu skills. He keeps countering my attacks and I end up more wounded than before.

Lee regained consciousness but can barely move.

Lee: "Akia… I'm coming…"

Kimimaro: "I'm tired of this. Let's end it here."

He produces a large bone and thrusts it in my direction. I can't avoid this… I'm done for…

Just then, a wall of sand blocks Kimimaro's attack.

"Get away from her."

I know that voice.

"Gaara!"

Gaara: "Everything will be fine now. I'll protect you."


	19. Allies

Lee: "Gaara of the Sand!"

"Why are you here?"

Gaara: "Konohagakure and Sunagakure are allies. Your Hokage contacted us and asked for our help."

"I'm glad you're here."

Kimimaro: "Great… You keep popping out like cockroaches."

Kimimaro charges towards me, but Gaara stands in front of me and blocks him.

Gaara: "I'm your opponent now."

Gaara attacks him with his sand, but Kimimaro dodges everything. That's when Lee steps in and takes advantage of Kimimaro getting distracted by Gaara.

Lee: "Dynamic Entry!"

Kimimaro: "Argh!"

"Way to go guys!"

Kimimaro: "This isn't very fair is it. I'll have to take this to the next level."

His curse mark starts to cover his body and transforms him into something not fully human. So that's the power of the curse mark… His strength and chakra should've considerably increased as well.

The battle between Gaara and Kimimaro continues, with Lee assisting Gaara whenever he can. I'm way too beaten up to be of any help at the moment.

Lee: "Nothing's working! He is way too strong!"

Kimimaro: "Your sand isn't merely enough to beat me. You've been wasting your time attacking me."

Gaara: "I haven't been wasting my time. I've transformed the rocks below us into sand."

He then raises his arms and an incredible amount of sand rises from the ground.

Gaara: "Akia. Stand behind me."

I rush towards him and do as he said.

Gaara: "Sand Tsunami."

Gaara floats all three of us on his sand. Lee is on a different platform from Gaara and I.

Gaara: "Giant Sand Coffin."

Kimimaro gets crushed under the sand. It's over… It's all over…

Just then, many huge bones pierce through the sand and rise up high.

"He's not dead yet?"

Kimimaro: "Final dance. Dance of the Seedling Fern."

He comes out of one of the bones that sprouted from the ground and aims his giant piercing bone arm at Gaara.

I won't let him.

I grab Gaara and throw him at the sand platform Lee's on. The shot intended for Gaara comes straight at me.

Gaara and Lee: "Akia!"

That's when Neiko dashes at Kimimaro and manages to reach his skin. It bites him and his bone arm stop right in front of my face.

"Neiko… You have a paralysis poison…?"

That's not all. Kimimaro's skin starts turning black and he coughs out blood. Neiko has deadly poison…

Neiko come back to me and Gaara puts us all down on the ground.

"Neiko! You saved my life!"

Gaara: "It's a good thing we found it in the Hideout."

Lee: "Now that I think about it, I do not recall seeing this snake."

"We found it on a mission. It didn't leave me since then."

Gaara: "You were lucky this time. Don't ever do something stupid like that again."

I surprised myself when I did that…

"Wouldn't you have done the same thing?"

Gaara doesn't answer and looks away.

"I guess not."

Gaara: "That's not what I said."

"You didn't say anything so I assumed…"

Gaara: "Don't assume things like that."

He seems upset that I thought that.

"So you would?"

Gaara: "Of course."

That "of course" is the most sincere thing I've heard in a while. It makes me want to trust him. I feel like I'm important in his eyes. Maybe I'm being delusional, but that's what I want to believe. We didn't spend much time together, the time we had made him into a special person to me. I think of him as a very important friend. There's something else though… I don't know what it is. He feels like an important friend, but he makes me feel something very different from Naruto, who's also an important friend.

Gaara: "You decided to call the snake Neiko."

"Yes. You want to touch it?"

Gaara: "It won't do the same thing to me as it did to Kimimaro?"

"It won't. Just don't do any sudden moves."

Gaara awkwardly pats Neiko on the head.

"What about you Lee? …Lee?"

He fell asleep?

"I guess that's the aftereffect of the alcohol…"

Gaara: "I'm glad he healed from what I did."

"He's a strong shinobi."

I would really want to go help Naruto, but all three of us are out of chakra and I sense Naruto's Kyuubi chakra. It'd be too risky to get involved, considering Gaara is a Jinchuriki and that I'm an experimental and unstable one…

I might sound really selfish saying this, but I enjoyed spending this little time with Gaara, even when I knew that a huge battle between Naruto and Sasuke was happening.

Gaara: "Thank you."

That caught me off guard! Why is he thanking me all of a sudden?

"For… what?"

Gaara: "For caring."

And I thought I was the only one who was feeling like nobody cared about me. He was feeling it too. I just didn't realize because I was too fixated on my own feelings.

I pat him on the shoulder.

"That's what friends are for."


	20. Losing a Friend

We go back to the village with our heads down, due to failing the mission. More than just failing the mission, we lost Sasuke to Orochimaru. I still can't believe he would do that. Why would anyone want to go to Orochimaru? I'm his own daughter and I can't stand the idea of getting anywhere near him.

Choji and Neji were rescued at the last minute. They were on the verge of dying. Naruto is recovering the energy and the chakra he lost.

Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro went back to their village after the mission was over. It was a pretty formal farewell. I couldn't help but feel like Gaara was being a bit distant. Maybe it was just me who had the illusion that we actually got closer.

After this mission, I decided that it was about time to practice my sword skills. I was completely useless against Kimimaro. If it wasn't for Neiko I would've been dead.

Speaking of Neiko, its growth spurt is incredibly fast. It can't fit on my bed anymore. If it goes on like this, it won't fit in my room anymore.

"Neiko… I won't be able to keep you here."

Neiko looks away.

I don't know where to put it! Wait… If I'm not mistaken, there's a place where summoned beasts live. I should ask Lady Tsunade about this.

I make my way to her office.

"Lady Tsunade…"

Lady Tsunade: "What is it, Akia?"

"About Neiko…"

Lady Tsunade: "Your pet snake? Any news to tell me about it?"

"Well yes… It kind of grew out of normal proportions… If it continues growing at this pace, it'll be as big as the Chief Toad."

Lady Tsunade: "This could become a problem… And you want to ask me where it could live?"

"Yes."

Lady Tsunade: "Let me first explain to you some things. Each type of summoning beasts reside in a certain place of their own. For example, Toads live in Mount Myoboku. Katsuyu, my personal summon, resides in Shikkotsu Forest. From what I know from Orochimaru, he went to Ryuuchi Cave. I've never been there, however."

"Do you know of a way to get there?"

"I don't know where it is. You need to have a summoning contract with one of the snakes that live there. That way they can use a Reverse Summoning to bring you there."

I don't have any summoning contract with any of the snakes there. I can just summon snakes that I can sense around me.

"Isn't there any other way?"

Lady Tsunade: "You always try to find it. It is said that it is very difficult and I don't have any clue where it could be."

"Maybe Neiko would know…"

Lady Tsunade: "You can give it a try."

"May I have your authorization to go on this mission?"

Lady Tsunade: "We are a little short on shinobi at the moment, but I think you would be of much more help after you've solved this snake business. However, you will be on your own for this mission."

"Thank you, Lady Tsunade."

I should leave as soon as I can, but first I need to go get Neiko. I'll need to pack some things too. I have a feeling this will be a long journey. I should also go see how Naruto is doing after all that's happened. He's still at the hospital. I'll pack everything first and go check up on him.

On my way to the hospital, the reality of losing Sasuke to Orochimaru strikes me again. I'm still in disbelief to it all. Even if we weren't very close, I still considered Sasuke as a comrade.

I open the door to Naruto's room and find Sakura there as well.

Naruto: "Akki-chan…"

Sakura: "Akia…"

They both look so down. They just lost a squad member, a comrade, a friend…

"I came to check up on you guys. Will you be alright?"

Naruto: "Yeah… Thanks for worrying."

Sakura: "Where are you going with all this stuff?"

"Oh. I'm going on a long mission. I don't know when I'll be back. It'll probably last longer than a month."

Naruto: "Where are you going?"

"To a place where Neiko will feel at home."

They look at me with confused faces. It won't serve to any purpose to explain it to them.

"Take care of yourselves and don't let one loss destroy your whole life. Naruto, you said that you'd bring Sasuke back. I fully believe that that will happen. If not today, then later on. If you let one failure bring you down, then you really won't keep that promise. And, Sakura… You have to be strong and help Naruto make this happen. You guys were the first friends I ever made. I want to make sure that you will stand up again and keep on living."

Naruto: "Akki-chan… You're right. I'll keep trying even if it kills me. I'll bring Sasuke back."

Sakura smiles at me and I see hope spark again in their eyes. I'm glad that I was able to cheer them up, even if it's just a little.

I leave and head home to get Neiko. Maybe I'll be able to learn more about it at Ryuuchi Cave. I just hope my hunch is right about Neiko knowing where it is. If it doesn't, I really have no idea how I'll be able to find the Ryuuchi Cave.


	21. The Journey

Neiko and I head towards the village gates.

"Neiko, we have to get to the Ryuuchi Cave. You know where it is?"

At the mention of the Ryuuchi Cave, Neiko accelerates out of the village.

"Wait up!"

I follow Neiko through paths I've never used before. Does it really know where the Ryuuchi Cave is?

Neiko kept leaping forward without stopping for more than a day. I was starting to get tired, but no matter what I said, Neiko didn't stop.

"Neiko! I need to rest!"

It finally stops after almost two days of travelling. I collapse on the ground next to Neiko.

"Neiko… I have limits…"

I eat some food pills. Neiko looks at me. By the look on its face, I figure she's asking for food.

"Catch your own food. I have no more strength to do that."

Neiko hisses at me and nudges me.

"Fine. Fine. I'll go get you something…"

When will that snake ever listen. I go and try to find some food for Neiko. I get my hands on a few rodents and some bird eggs.

"That's all I could get. If you want more, go get something by yourself. I'm going to sleep."

Neiko gobbles everything. It then wraps itself around me and we both fall asleep.

I wake up feeling the ground moving under me. I open my eyes and…

"Neiko! Why are you so big?"

Neiko was almost as big as the trees in the forest. It was crawling with me on its back.

"Where are you going?"

Is it still heading towards the Ryuuchi Cave? I wonder how long we still have to get there. I have to admit, Neiko is much faster than before. It's probably the fastest way to travel like that. It's a good thing that I didn't wait any longer before trying to find the Ryuuchi Cave. Neiko would've ended up destroying my apartment if it stayed there. Being on Neiko's back is giving me a lot of free time. On top of that, Neiko doesn't get tired as fast as me. I think it can go on much longer, but it stopped when I was at my limit yesterday. Neiko is a female from what I've checked… I should address her as a she instead of an it from now on. She's become much more sensitive and intelligent. Recently it feels like she's much more than just an animal or a pet to me. She became my companion and I feel a little sad that I won't be able to see her every day when I leave her in Ryuuchi Cave.

After three full days of travelling, Neiko finally decides to take a break. She looks at me.

"I know, I'll go get you some food. You deserve it after all this."

I have to make sure I don't venture too far, though. I have never been in these parts before. It looks like we're going to be out of the forest soon. I should pack more food for Neiko. Who knows if I'll be able to find anything else after.

Is it me, or are the animal are starting to get oversized around here? The rodents are almost as long as my arms. I capture a few of them. On my way back, a giant rat tries to attack me. It's almost five times my size! Neiko might be bigger, but she's a special case. Are the rodents I captured still babies? The giant rat tries to attack me again. It's pretty easy to dodge, but I need to get rid of it so that I can feed Neiko and let her rest. If I use a fire jutsu, the forest might catch on fire… My earth jutsu won't work against an oversized rat. Shadow Snakes might do the trick if they poison it. Let's hope that rat isn't immune to normal snake poison.

"Shadow Snake hands."

My snakes bite the rat. It stops for a bit, but then grabs them and gobbles them. So it is immune to snake poison… At least these ones… I'm out of ideas. Maybe I could slash it with a sword.

I extract a sword from the snake stored in my mouth. I try to cut the rat with my sword, but its skin is too thick.

That's when I hear a very familiar hissing. I see Neiko coming at full speed and attacking the rat from behind. Now that I look at it, Neiko has actually become much bigger than I thought. She's almost twice the rat's size. She bites the rat and, to my surprise, her poison works. The rat is paralyzed. Her poison must be a pretty powerful one. Neiko doesn't stop there. She starts to eat the rat whole.

"If you eat it all, you won't need to eat all the stuff I hunted. I guess we'll leave those for later then."

After she finished swallowing the rat, she wraps herself around me and falls asleep.

"Rest well, Neiko."

I've grown very fond of her, I got to admit.

The next few days were without much happening. We reach some rocky paths. After going through these, we arrive at a giant swamp.

"We're close aren't we?"

Neiko nods.

"You can nod now?"

It's not just her body that's growing, but her brain too.

After more of a month of travelling, we finally reach rocky gates that are covered with some kind of wall climbing plants covering them a little.

"Is this it Neiko?"

Neiko nods.

So this is the entrance to the Ryuuchi Cave…


	22. The Ryuuchi Cave

I'm standing there, in front of the cave's entrance, not daring to make a step forward. There's a lot of natural energy coming from inside that it's a little overwhelming. Neiko nudges me forward.

"I guess standing there won't bring us anywhere…"

I make my way in and Neiko follows me. The air feels slightly humid. A lot of small snakes wander around. The most shocking thing, however, is the fact that they can talk. It's pretty dark in the cave so I change to my snake eyes. A small yellow snake approaches me. It's wearing some kind of magistrate hat. It looks kind of funny…

"A human? It's been a long time since the last one that was here. State your business."

"I came here with Neiko to see if I could find a place for her to live…"

"Neiko? That white snake?"

There's a moment of silence.

"I'll bring you to our Sage."

That Sage must their leader or something.

On the way there, I recognize the three snakes that attacked our village. There was also this giant purple snake that didn't stop examining me. He follows us from far. I wonder what he wants. We finally arrive in front of a majestic throne with a huge white snake sitting on it.

"Behold, the White Snake Sage."

White Snake Sage: "A human… And a white snake? Only members of the Sage's family are white. Who are you?"

Neiko approaches him. They examine each other for a bit.

White Snake Sage: "You… You are my granddaughter…"

His granddaughter? Neiko?

White Snake Sage: "Human, who are you? Where did you find her?"

"I am Akia, sir. I found Neiko in one of Orochimaru's hideouts."

White Snake Sage: "Orochimaru… So he was the one who took her away to study her. He probably gave her an anti-aging potion which is why she is still so small. What is your business here, human?"

"I came here to find a place for Neiko to stay. She is growing very big, as you can see."

White Snake Sage: "Yes. It was wise of you to come here. Wait a minute… You have the same chakra as Orochimaru, the last human who came here."

"I am his daughter…"

White Snake Sage: "That would explain the resemblance."

The purple snake from before approaches us.

White Snake Sage: "What is it, Manda?"

Manda: "So I was right, you are Orochimaru's daughter. I'd recognize those eyes anywhere."

"Who are you?"

Manda: "I am one of the snakes Orochimaru made a contract with."

So this is another of Orochimaru's summons. I wonder if I'll be able to do the same with Neiko.

"White Snake Sage, I was wondering if I could make a summoning contract with Neiko."

White Snake Sage: "You already have. Did Neiko ever bite you?"

"In fact, she did when I first found her."

White Snake Sage: "When she did so, your contract was made."

That would make sense… A summoning contract is made by blood dripped on summoning circle. Since Neiko bit me where I already have one tattooed on my arm, the contract was made.

"I guess I'll leave Neiko in the hands of her family where she'll be able to grow as much as she likes. I'll summon her when I need her."

White Snake Sage: "Wait. To repay you for bringing back my granddaughter in such wonderful shape, how would you like to learn the Sage Mode?"

"…Sage Mode?"

White Snake Sage: "Yes, human. This will allow you to use natural energy and, in result, drastically strengthen you and all your techniques."

"You are willing to teach me that?"

White Snake Sage: "I am a snake of my word."

This is definitely going to make me stronger and I'll be able to protect those who are important to me. This may even give me enough power to go against Orochimaru.

"I'd be honoured to learn from you, White Snake Sage."

White Snake Sage: "Then we shall begin. I will not let you leave this place before you being able to enter Sage Mode."

I trained so much that I lost track of time. It was harsh training and the only food I was offered was raw rodents and other small animals. It was rough, but the longer I lived away from civilisation, the more in touch with nature I became. I had to do many concentration training. I was being trained by many snakes under the White Snake Sage's supervision. Neiko found herself right at home. I was told that she'll be able to talk when she reaches adult age, which will take around two years.

White Snake Sage: "I've observed your training until now. I must say, you are progressing fairly well. You should be able to enter sage mode now."

"I feel very close to it."

White Snake Sage: "Sage Mode takes a long time to achieve. You will have to be careful of that in battle. For now, try to do. I'll give you all the time you need."

"Yes, sir."

I sit down on the floor in a meditating posture. I concentrate on the natural energy around me. I hear all the sounds around me with precision. I feel my chakra fusing with outside energy.

White Snake Sage: "You've done it."

I open my eyes and walk to a nearby puddle to look at my face. My eyes became snake-like without me intentionally activating them. My skin was as white as the White Snake Sage and Neiko's. I had snake scales randomly scattered all over my body. I felt a significant increase in my chakra. I felt a lot more powerful. However, it didn't last very long. I was normal again in a mere five minutes.

White Snake Sage: "You might not be able to keep it for too long at the moment, but you will be able to extend that time the more you use it. You may make contracts with different snakes here if you wish. I've taught you enough for now. When you wish to leave, I will use a Reverse summoning jutsu to bring you wherever you want."

I decide to go make a contract with a few snakes. This should increase my strength in battles from now on. I go back to the White Snake Sage who then teleports me back to Konohagakure.


	23. Trouble in the Sand

I find myself in front of the village gates, just outside of the village. The first thing I notice is a squad running at full speed out of the village. This squad is formed of Naruto, Lee, Shikamaru, Ino, Choji, Kiba, Hinata, Neji, Sakura, and Shino. They didn't see me. There must be some kind of emergency… Since no one knows that I'm back from my mission, I can follow them without Lady Tsunade's permission. I could just say that on my way back, I bumped into them. I follow them far enough so that they don't spot me, but close enough to hear what they're saying.

Shikamaru: "Hinata, Neji, you two will be our eyes. You'll tell us where they are and point us in the right way. Sakura, Shino, you two will take care of the injuries. Choji, Kiba, you'll help out Kankuro. Ino and I will go help Temari. As for Naruto and Lee, you will go help out Gaara. Understood?"

Gaara? Is he in trouble? I'll go help him. So all I need to do is follow Lee and Naruto and I'll know where he is. I hope he's okay… I'll make sure he's okay. I bet a lot has happened during my absence. According to the White Snake Sage, I've trained with them for over a month, plus the travelling it took me to get there, around three months have passed since I left the village.

Neji: "I see Kankuro, he's having some trouble with some shinobi. He's just straight ahead."

Kiba and Choji: "We got this."

This might really be more serious than I thought…

Hinata: "Temari is right over there."

Shikamaru: "Okay. Come on Ino. I'll leave the rest to you guys."

Naruto: "You can count on us, Shikamaru."

Neji: "Gaara is being attacked by a water user."

I have to help him. Lee and Naruto rush towards where he is. I'm way too far from them. I have to speed up. When I arrive there, I see Gaara throw a spear that pierces the one who was attacking him.

Gaara: "I have to go find Matsuri."

Matsuri? Who is that?

Lee: "Matsuri?"

Gaara: "My student."

At that, all three rush to the direction where, I assume, Matsuri is. I'm still way too far from them. If I wasn't so preoccupied by being spotted… If I got too close Neji and Hinata would be able to spot me way too easily. When I finally arrive to where they are, it's a huge mess. Naruto is fighting a man with a huge armour, a girl, Matsuri I assume, is knocked out on the floor and Gaara is nowhere to be seen. Wait… I feel his chakra. It's coming from a weird looking sphere. He's trapped! I have to help. I'll try my Sage Mode. I concentrate and after a bit, I feel the surge of power.

I run at an incredible speed to where Gaara is being held captive. If I use a fire jutsu, He might get hurt. An earth jutsu won't be of much help either. I'll try to slice it open then. I extract the snake's head from my mouth and, to my surprise, it's white. So in Sage Mode, I can transform all my snakes into white ones with my chakra… As I extract the sword from the snake's mouth, I recognize the sword that Neiko made for me.

Lee: "Akia! Where did you come from?"

"No time to explain."

I hear Gaara screaming inside the sphere. I strike the sphere with my sword. It passes right through and I make an opening. However, what I see inside leaves me speechless. Gaara was half transformed. He was screaming and holding his head. No time to hesitate now. I grab him and drag him out of the sphere. I realize that the reason why this is happening is because his chakra was being absorbed. In Sage Mode, I can see and feel all chakra flows.

Naruto: "Gaara! You can control it! Don't let it take over!"

This is totally out of my hands now… Unless…

I hold Gaara's hand and start infusing him with my chakra.

Gaara: "Aki…Akia…"

"Gaara. I'll do anything to help you. Trust me."

Slowly, Gaara regains control. He gets up.

Gaara: "Thank you."

I realize that I'm still holding his hand. I let go but he holds it.

Gaara: "Stay close to me until I take care of this guy."

My Sage Mode reaches its limit and I get back to normal. I hope I infused enough chakra for Gaara to take care of things.

Gaara: "Giant Sand Burial."

The whole floor gets covered with sand. The enemy gets crushed under it. I guess I did give enough chakra to Gaara.

Gaara: "Akia…"

Before he could finish what he had to say, Gaara faints and I catch him in my arms.

Sakura and Shino come and help carry all the injured o Konoha.

At Konoha, we bring them to the hospital and I go see Lady Tsunade to report what happened in my mission.

Lady Tsunade: "Akia, you're back. Tell me what happened."

"I arrived to the Ryuuchi Cave after a little more than a month of travelling. When I got there, I was welcomed for bringing back the White Snake Sage's granddaughter who happened to be Neiko."

Lady Tsunade: "I bet Orochimaru took her to study her, that's why she was in his hideout."

"That's what I think as well. To show his gratitude, the White Snake Sage taught me how to use Sage Mode. I was also able to make a summoning contract with various snakes there."

Lady Tsunade: "You learned Sage Mode? Already?"

"I'm not perfect at it, but yes I can use it."

Lady Tsunade: "That's remarkable growth. I applaud you for this. You may go now. I'll assign you to missions soon. You should rest."

"Thank you, Lady Tsunade."

I should go check up on Gaara before getting some rest. I want to tell him all the things that happened.


	24. Farewell

I arrive in front of the Naruto and Gaara's hospital room. I quietly open the door to find them both asleep. Seeing their peaceful expressions brings a small smile to my face. I get closer to Gaara's bed and sit on the edge. I look at his face and I get this irresistible urge to brush away his bangs.

What am I thinking? I can't do that! I look away to try and get a hold of myself.

Naruto: "Mm…"

Naruto's awake?

"Naruto. Feeling better?"

Naruto: "Akki-chan… Where…?"

"You're in the hospital."

Naruto: "Gaara…"

"He's alright you don't have to worry, your mission was a complete success."

Naruto smiles and goes back to sleep. I go get a chair and place it next to Gaara's bed. I sit there, waiting for him to wake up.

A few hours later, I start dozing off. I then start hearing Naruto talking to… Jiraiya?

Naruto: "Pervy Sage!"

Jiraiya: "I see you're doing well already."

Naruto: "I can't stay out of it forever."

Jiraiya: "That's good, because we're leaving on a journey to make you stronger."

Naruto: "Finally!"

Jiraiya: "I don't guarantee when we'll be back. It might take years. You ready?"

Gaara wakes up at that moment and sits up. He looks in the direction where the voices are coming.

Naruto: "Let's go."

With that, Jiraiya and Naruto leave from the hospital window. I'm happy for Naruto, but, at the same time, I know that I'll miss him. I wish him luck in his journey. I hope he'll become even stronger.

Gaara turns his head back to me.

Gaara: "How long was I out of it?"

"Roughly a day."

Gaara: "How long have you been here?"

"A few hours. I wanted to see how you were doing."

Gaara: "Were you sent on a mission to help us back there?"

"To tell you the truth, I wasn't. I was coming back from a mission and bumped into the team that was dispatched to help you."

I explained to him all the details of the mission with Neiko. He was very attentive and looked at me the whole time while nodding once in a while.

Gaara: "You miss her, don't you."

"When she was here, I'd go back home and find someone waiting for me there. It just makes me feel a little lonely that I won't find anyone waiting for me at home. I'll get used to it again, but I'll still miss her."

Gaara: "Someday, you'll find someone who will be waiting for you at home."

"Gaara…"

Just then, the hospital room door opens.

Temari: "Gaara! You're awake."

I'm glad to see that Temari and Kankuro feel better, but I wish I had more time with Gaara…

Kankuro: "I see you're having fun with Akia."

Gaara: "Fun? We were talking."

"I guess I'll leave you three to your business."

Gaara: "Wait…"

Temari: "Thanks for everything, Akia. Without you, Gaara would've been gone."

Kankuro: "Gaara, we need to leave as soon as possible. The Sand Village needs more helping hands, and we're valuable ones."

They're leaving already… I don't know when will be the next time I see Gaara. It probably won't be anytime soon…

Kankuro: "Gaara needs to change, all girls out!"

Temari and I were forced out.

Temari: "So, we never really spoke together before."

"That's true."

Temari: "Gaara is actually very fond of you."

"He is?"

Temari: "You didn't notice did you… It's probably because you're fond of him too."

That might be… Actually, it is true… I feel the blood rush to my cheeks. Am I blushing?

Temari: "I knew it! Too bad we don't exactly live close. I bet if you two spent enough time together, you'd both be able to open up and brighten up to other people around you."

"I don't know… He's probably just acting nice with me."

Temari: "He doesn't know how to act… He's a pretty easy guy to read once you get closer to him."

The door to Gaara's room opens to reveal Kankuro.

Kankuro: "We're all set, Temari."

Gaara comes out after him and we all leave the hospital.

At the village gates, I bid them farewell. Gaara leaves, but, to my surprise, he glances back at me and waves goodbye. Last time we parted, he was way more formal than this. My stomach felt weird when he waved. It felt weird, but it was a good kind of weird… I felt myself blushing again…

What is wrong with me…? I never felt that way before. I don't even know what this feeling is…

A few days go by. I'm fully rested. I'm starting to feel the emptiness left by the absence of Neiko and Naruto… and Gaara…

While I was taking a stroll down a street in Konoha, I see Izumo, a village Chunin, come running towards me.

Izumo: "Akia, Lady Hokage requests your presence, it's an emergency."

An emergency? Could it be some urgent mission? In any case I should hurry up and see why she needs me.

I arrive in Lady Tsunade's office. There, I see her showing a more serious face than usual.

Lady Tsunade: "Akia. I'm glad you came quickly."

"I heard there was something urgent."

Lady Tsunade: "Indeed there is."

She goes through some documents and hands me one.

Lady Tsunade: "This will be your mission for the next year."

A mission that lasts a year? I wonder how important it is for it to last this long.


	25. The Daimyo

Lady Tsunade: "The Daimyo of the Land of Fire himself urgently requested our help. Both him, his wife and their personal bodyguards will go on a vacation around the world for a year. The problem is that their son, the only heir, will be left alone without any protection. That is why he asked for a ninja that will act as his son's personal bodyguard for the year to come. Since you're the only one available who's strong enough to handle this on your own, I therefore assign you to this A rank mission."

That's the emergency… A bunch of rich royalty want me to babysit their son so that they could have fun? And for a whole year! Well now it's confirmed that I won't be able to see Gaara for at least a year… I wish there was a way I could keep in touch with him. The only way would be messenger birds, but I don't exactly get along with birds.

Lady Tsunade: "You will be leaving immediately since the Fire Daimyo and his wife will be leaving for their trip tomorrow. If there's any trouble that you can't handle on your own, send a soldier from the royal court there who'll relay your message. If only you could use messenger birds it would've made things much easier…"

"Birds are afraid of me, I guess they sense a predator in me."

Lady Tsunade: "Of course they do. Everything about you screams snake. Now get going."

"Yes, Lady Tsunade."

Now I'm officially in a bad mood. Not only do I have to go on this useless mission, but I have to go on this useless mission immediately. I guess as a ninja I can't do whatever I want when it comes to missions. Especially since I'm still a genin.

I pack my things and head for the village gates… I'll miss everyone. I head out.

I finally arrive in front of the Daimyo's palace. There a few soldiers stop me.

Guards: "What's your business here?"

"I'm the bodyguard sent from Konoha."

I show them the mission documents.

Guards: "You may pass."

I go in and cross a large garden. I arrive at the palace doors where more soldiers stop me. They have enough security here, what do they need me for?

I show the soldiers the same documents and one of them escorts me to the Daimyo.

The Daimyo is an old man who looks pretty fickle. He's extremely skinny compared to his wife who's almost triple his size. She always carries her cat around. I recognize the cat that Naruto and his squad had to capture as one of their first missions. Their son seems to be around sixteen years old. They had him late…

Daimyo: "Oh! So you must be our son's new personal bodyguard. Allow to introduce him. His name is Hotaka. He can prove to be a little difficult, but he's a nice boy."

Hotaka is a pretty tall guy with dull brown hair. He looks like he's a spoiled brat, but I shouldn't judge him that fast. I'll see how he really is since I'll be spending a whole year here…

"Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Akia, kunoichi of Konohagakure. I'll carry out my mission as best as I can."

Daimyo: "Well I'll leave my son in your hands then. Come, Madame Shijimi, let's depart on our vacation."

Madame Shijimi, his wife, follows him and they leave the palace. That's it? I don't even get a tour of the place or anything? I don't even know where my room is or if I even have one… I should ask their son.

"Excuse me, Hotaka-sama, where am I supposed to stay?"

Hotaka: "Like sleep and stuff? In my room, where else? You're my personal bodyguard you got to stick to me 24/7."

In the same room as this prick? How am I going to survive a whole year?

Hotaka: "Don't look so worried. I wouldn't touch you even if you were the last woman on earth."

"I didn't even think of that possibility."

This is proving to be much more than what I signed up for. I already know that this guy won't be the easiest person to get along with… Who does he think he is anyway? I wouldn't even let him get near me! And what does he mean by that? Am I unattractive or something? Probably… I'm not exactly feminine either.

Hotaka: "Hey, bodyguard, don't space out."

"I'm sorry, Hotaka-sama."

Why do I even have to be respectful to him… He gets up and starts heading to the backyard.

Hotaka: "Bodyguard! You're supposed to follow me everywhere."

"Yes. I'm sorry about my incompetence."

Hotaka: "You better be."

I think this boy is in more danger than ever, because I might kill him before the mission ends!

A few weeks go by and I'm still receiving the same treatment. I got used to it and learned to ignore it.

Something I noticed during my stay is that many of his food was being poisoned. My job was to protect him so I told him what to eat and what not to eat. I would try to find who poisons the food, but that's not part of my job. I can't get away from Hotaka at all. I need to literally stick to him… That doesn't leave me much openings. I can't really conduct much of an investigation having to follow a noisy brat everywhere I go. Since I'm immune to poisons, I eat most of the poisoned food. I have to admit, whoever cooks here is great at it. After what I had to eat at the Ryuuchi Cave, this is like heaven.

Months go by… Right when I thought that this mission can't get any easier, a guard comes running to Hotaka.

Guard: "Hotaka-sama! We are being attacked!"

Hotaka: "Can't you take care of it?"

Guard: "Sir, they're rogue ninjas! Most of us have been slayed."

"Rogue ninjas?"

They probably thought they could seize the palace now that the Daimyo, his wife and their top class bodyguards are gone. Well they don't know who they're messing with.


	26. This is not what I signed up for!

I would try to use my Sage Mode, but there's not enough time.

Guard: "What do we do?"

I would ask him to go to Konoha to get some reinforcement but they'll never make it in time.

The rogue ninjas bust into the palace. I recognize their headband. They're from the Sound village! The village that belongs to Orochimaru. Did he order them to do that? But why would he?

"What do you want?"

Sound ninja: "Money, the palace, the women, everything! And no one will stop us."

"Did Orochimaru send you?"

Sound ninja: "So you know him? No he didn't. We were bored and we heard the Daimyo's palace was unprotected. Didn't think a Konoha kunoichi was all they hired for protection."

They kill all the guards in the palace while they're making their way towards Hotaka and me. From what I see, they're not using any sound jutsu. They're definitely weaker than Dosu, the sound ninja I fought in the Chunin exams.

Hotaka: "Bodyguard! Do something!"

"I'm analyzing the situation here! Stop distracting me!"

One of the sound ninja appears behind Hotaka with a kunai, ready to strike him. They might not be strong, but they're definitely quick. I grab Hotaka by his hair pull him downwards. I then stab the ninja with my own kunai.

Hotaka: "AAH! My hair!"

"No time to whine, the rest are coming."

I extract my sword from the snake in my mouth. This time it's the normal sword that I first stored. I guess I need to be in Sage Mode to get the other sword… This'll have to do I guess. It's more than enough to take care of these weaklings. But come on… ten against one is a little too much…

The sound ninja attack me all at once.

Hotaka: "We're so dead!"

"No we're not."

Here's my new sword technique that I invented myself. I call it the Beheading Dance.

"Beheading Dance."

I slash the sound ninjas' heads off with quick and controlled motions and with graceful steps. They then all fall almost at the same time, their heads chopped off. Usually, I avoid killing enemies, but on top of attacking the Daimyo's palace and endangering my mission, they're rogue ninjas. It's my duty to get rid of them.

Hotaka is on the floor, trembling.

"It's over, Hotaka-sama. You're safe."

I have to admit, I like him much better when he's speechless.

Hotaka: "I… I can see that…"

He gets up and straightens his kimono. He tries to put on a straight face, but I can see his lips are still trembling.

Hotaka: "S… Servants! Cl… Clean this mess up!"

Even in this condition, he still has the strength to order people around. I put my sword back and go back to standing next to Hotaka.

Hotaka: "You stink of blood… Clean yourself!"

"Yes, Hotaka-sama."

I prepare to leave when he stops me.

Hotaka: "D… Don't leave me alone!"

"How am I supposed to get cleaned up then?"

Hotaka: "I'll go with you."

What? No way! I'd rather stink for the rest of my life.

"I'm sorry, Hotaka-sama, but I refuse."

Hotaka: "You will do as I say!"

Now that's one thing I won't be nice about!

"Look, I might be your bodyguard, but I'm not your property! I have my own pride and will do what I feel comfortable with!"

Hotaka just stands there, speechless. I guess I made my point.

"Now if you don't want me to leave you alone, I'll make an earth clone that'll stay with you until I get cleaned up."

Hotaka: "That sounds good…"

Was I too much? He seems like he's actually sorry. That's a good change.

The year is almost over. Hotaka is much less annoying than before, although he still gets on my nerves sometimes. I think he's starting to understand what respect means.

Or so I thought…

Hotaka: "The year is almost over, which means your mission is as well. However, I want you to become permanently my personal bodyguard."

"I can't. I have other duties to attend to back at Konohagakure."

Hotaka: "I won't take no for an answer! In fact, I want you to be much more than just my bodyguard."

"What do you mean…"

Hotaka: "I want you to become my wife. That way, you won't be able to leave the palace, even if you wanted to."

"You're kidding me…"

That jerk! As if I'll ever comply to that! The problem is, he has much more political power than me. The only one who can help me stop this is Lady Tsunade. I'll send her a message via a snake. Much easier than a bird or a human, for that matter.

Hotaka: "When my parents come back in two days, we will hold our wedding."

Gaara started popping up in my head at the mention of marriage. I felt like something is squeezing my heart. If Lady Tsunade doesn't come before it's too late, I'll never be able to see Gaara again. More like, I won't have the courage to look him in the face… I could always escape, but leaving before the mission is over is a great offense to the village.

Two days pass by. The Daimyo and his wife are back. I hope my message made it to Lady Tsunade…

Hotaka: "Father! I want to announce you that I have decided to take Akia's hand in marriage."

Daimyo: "Oh! That's wonderful! The wedding shall be tonight!"

"Tonight?"

Hotaka: "Tonight is too late! Let's do it now."

"NOW? I did not agree to this!"

Daimyo: "What? You say that you do not want my son?"

"I don't! He forced me!"

Daimyo: "Is that so?"

Hotaka: "Don't listen to her, father. She's just overwhelmed."

That little…

That's when the palace doors suddenly, and violently, opened.

"Lady Tsunade!"

Lady Tsunade: "I beg your pardon, Daimyo-sama. Akia cannot get married."

Daimyo: "Why is that?"

Lady Tsunade: "She would be much more helpful for the Land of Fire as a kunoichi of Konohagakure. Without her, a lot of missions will be left unaccomplished."

Daimyo: "Hm… You've got a point there…"

Hotaka: "But father…!"

Lady Tsunade: "Akia is a skilled kunoichi, but she does not know the first thing about marriage. The most beneficial thing to do would be to let her go back with me to Konohagakure and to fulfill her duty as a ninja."

Daimyo: "I understand… You may go then. I count this mission as accomplished. Here's the rest of your money."

We get the rest of the pay and head back to Konoha.

"Lady Tsunade, thank you…"

Lady Tsunade: "I wouldn't dream of losing a ninja like you. I did what I had to do."

"What about the village?"

Lady Tsunade: "Don't worry. Shizune is taking care of the paperwork for now."

I'm glad that's over… The Daimyo was easier to convince than I thought he would be. It will take a while before I accept any other missions having anything to do with the Daimyo's son…


	27. Naruto's Return

Another year goes by filled with missions and training. During that year, I learned that Gaara became Kazekage. I was very happy for him, of course. He worked so hard to get there. Of course this means the opportunities to see him will be even more rare, but… as long as he's happy, I'll be happy.

I pass in front of Ichiraku Ramen. I remember how Naruto used to love eating there. It's probably the first place he'll go to when he comes back.

"Akki-chan!"

Who…?

"Naruto?"

Naruto: "Akki-chan!"

"Naruto! You… grew up a lot!"

I can't believe that's the twelve year old boy that used to play pranks and fool around… He looks so much more manly…

Naruto: "I did, didn't I! And you are so much more curvy now! You used to be so flat before."

"Really? I didn't really pay attention to that."

Naruto and I catch up and I learn how his journey made him much stronger. A little later, Iruka-sensei takes both of us for ramen. There he tells Naruto about how Gaara became Kazekage. Naruto is a little envious, but he's much more happy for Gaara. Naruto also tells us how he's been back since the beginning of the day and how Team Kakashi is not back in action.

After eating some ramen, Naruto and I go back to our apartments. On the way, we talk some more about what has happened in the past two years.

At home, I find myself alone again. However, I don't feel as alone as a few years ago. I feel loved by all the friends I made in Konoha. I'm also very happy to see Naruto again. It would be even more perfect if I could congratulate Gaara about becoming Kazekage. It would give me an excuse to see him… I guess for now, I should just get some rest.

I wake up extremely early. I decide to go take a stroll outside. While walking on the streets, I see a messenger bird flying in the direction of the decoders' tower. Isn't that a Sand Village bird? Not just that, but it's one of the fastest ones. Did something happen? If it's an emergency, I'm sure Lady Tsunade will dispatch a team as soon as possible. I should make sure I'm one of those dispatched.

Just as I thought, it's an emergency. Izumo runs towards me and asks me to go to the Hokage's office as soon as I can while he looked for more available shinobi.

I have a bad feeling about this. I run to the Hokage's office. I see her and a message decoder discussing the content of the letter.

Lady Tsunade: "Akia. I'll tell you what your mission is when more shinobi arrive."

"Did something happen to Gaara?"

Lady Tsunade: "How did you… Well I'll tell you about this later. Wait here for a bit."

A little later, Team Kakashi arrives.

Lady Tsunade: "Good. That's enough people to take care of this for now."

Kakashi-sensei: "What happened Lady Tsunade?"

Lady Tsunade: "We received word from the Hidden Sand that the Kazekage has been captured by the Akatsuki."

"Gaara…"

No way… It's not true… Gaara's going to be fine right? She should've told me earlier! I would've been almost there by now if I knew Gaara was in trouble!

Naruto: "No way…"

"We should leave, now!"

Lady Tsunade: "Hold it! Your mission will be to assist them and help them as much as you can."

"What about Gaara?"

Lady Tsunade: "You need to get to the Sand Village first to find out what happened."

This isn't happening… We are already late enough! What will happen to Gaara? How can we just ignore that? We should've already been dispatched by now!

Kakashi-sensei: "Yes, Lady Tsunade. Let's go."

We finally set out and Naruto and I take the lead.

Sakura: "Guys wait! You're both going too fast!"

Fast? That's not fast! We are already late enough.

Kakashi-sensei: "If you lose your strength here, you won't be able to help Gaara in any way."

"And if we don't hurry, there'll be no Gaara to help!"

Naruto: "She's right…"

We both speed up even more. I feel the Shinju's power giving me a boost. It looks like the Kyuubi is also giving Naruto a boost.

We make it to the Sand Village in a record time. There, we find Kankuro lying in bed, poisoned.

Sakura takes care of him and the crisis is averted. Now if we could just go after Gaara…

Temari: "We still need to find out their location…"

"You haven't found out yet?"

Temari: "Look I'm as worried as you! I'm his older sister!"

I think I'm really tense about this whole thing. I don't have the right to be impatient with her… But the thought of losing Gaara is way too overwhelming. I can't imagine him… gone…


	28. Stay with Me

After Kankuro woke up, he told us about how he fought Sasori, one of those who captured Gaara. He also revealed to us that he got a piece of Sasori's cloth, which could prove very helpful in finding their location. A certain Lady Chiyo will be accompanying us. From what I've heard, she's Sasori's grandmother. Kakashi-sensei summons Pakkun, his ninja dog, to track Sasori using the piece of his cloth. Pakkun tracks the place and tells Kakashi-sensei where we have to go.

We set immediately after knowing our destination.

Naruto: "We have to make it in time…"

"We will…"

More like I want to convince myself that we will. Naruto and I are in the lead again. I'll go as fast as I can if it means that I'll be able to get to Gaara before it's too late… If it isn't already.

"I am very sorry, but I will not let you go any further."

Who said that?

Kakashi-sensei: "Itachi…"

"Out of the way."

I won't let anyone get in my way. I'll kill anyone who does.

Naruto's acting weird. A Genjutsu…?

Kakashi-sensei: "Itachi put Naruto under a Genjutsu."

I don't have time for this.

"You guys deal with this I won't stay here waiting forever."

Kakashi-sensei: "Akia don't act on your own."

"Too late."

I leave them with Itachi. He's way too distracted with all of them anyway to pay any attention to me. Besides, I'm sure they'll be able to take him on without my help. According to Pakkun's instructions, they took Gaara in that direction. I'll save him. I'll bring him back alive even if it means killing every single one of them in there.

I finally arrive in front of a huge boulder with a seal on it. I recognize that seal… I read about it in a scroll before. It has more than one sealing paper. The problem is that the other sealing papers are hidden somewhere around here. That's not the biggest problem, though… The seals need to be all removed at the same time by different people. If I create clones, it won't work because they all share the same chakra.

Does that mean I can't do anything but wait? Am I totally helpless? How can I just not be able to do anything when I'm right in front of where Gaara is? The worst is… I can hear his muffled cries in there. Like something is being extracted from him. They're after his tailed beast. But… If they take it away, he'll die!

"Gaara!"

I start banging on the boulder. This is the first time in my life since my mother died that I've felt so desperate and helpless. I can't lose him… I don't know what will happen to me if he's gone…

Naruto: "Akki-chan!"

"Naruto…"

They're finally here.

Kakashi-sensei: "This seal…"

Guy-sensei's team arrives as well and they decide that they will take care of finding and remove the other seals while Kakashi-sensei will take care of the one on the boulder. Sakura will be the one destroying the boulder.

The plan is executed and successful. I run inside the place as soon as there's an opening.

"Gaara…!"

What I see in there horrifies me and fills me with rage. A blonde man is sitting… on Gaara's body.

Naruto starts yelling at him and there's some heated conversations going on, but I can't hear any of it. I'm so filled with rage that I start seeing everything in red. I feel the Shinju's power coming out. It's painful. It's like something is clawing my heart. An experimental Jinchuriki sure doesn't feel the same as a real one.

Suddenly, the blonde guy takes Gaara away in his clay bird's mouth. This just gives me another reason to hate birds. I'll never let him get away with this. Naruto, Kakashi-sensei and I follow the clay user. I won't let him get away. He's going to regret this.

We finally catch up to him. Naruto and Kakashi attack him, but he's dodging everything. That's it! I won't stand here doing nothing!

"Many Hidden Shadow Snake Hands."

Snakes come out of my sleeves and my mouth and hold down the bird that the blonde guy, apparently called Deidara, is on.

Deidara: "What an annoying jutsu! So you're that snake's daughter."

He was referring to Orochimaru wasn't he…

Naruto helps me bring the bird down and take Gaara out of its mouth. In the meantime, Kakashi-sensei succeeds in cutting off Deidara's arm using the Mangekyo Sharingan. We put Gaara down on the plain's floor.

His heartbeat… is gone… He's not breathing…

"Gaara… You can't die! Stay with me!"

Naruto: "He's not dead… He can't be dead! He worked so hard to get to where he is!"

I feel something wet my cheeks. Tears…? Am I crying? A ninja isn't supposed to cry, but I can't hold my tears in. I hug Gaara tightly.

I hear an argument going on between Naruto and Lady Chiyo.

She then starts coming closer to Gaara's body.

Lady Chiyo: "Akia. Move aside."

I look up at her.

Lady Chiyo: "I know how to bring Gaara back."

Did I hear that right? She's… going to bring Gaara back?


	29. Feelings

Lady Chiyo puts her hands on Gaara's chest and starts performing a jutsu.

Lady Chiyo: "I don't have enough chakra… Boy, put your hands on mine. I'll channel both our chakras."

Naruto rushes to Lady Chiyo to give her his chakra. I have Gaara's head resting on my lap. I was caressing his hair. It feels so soft… He has to come back. I'd lose myself if he didn't…

Lady Chiyo finishes performing the jutsu and passes out. Did she just pass out…? I don't feel any life force emanating from her anymore… Gaara, on the other hand, started breathing again and his heartbeat came back.

He's safe. He's alive. He'll be fine. But… Lady Chiyo… gave her life for him? Is it selfish of me to feel more relieved than sad? Would it be a bad thing to say that Gaara's life counts much more to me than Lady Chiyo's? It's the truth… And I hate myself for thinking like that… but I'm so relieved.

Gaara starts to slowly open his eyes. He looks at Naruto and then he looks at me. We keep eye contact for a while until…

"The Kazekage is alive!"

The crowd of Sand Village residents cheers out of joy and relief. Gaara sits up with my help and sees how everyone came for him. Temari and Kankuro come and tell him how relieved they are as well. In the middle of it all, I can't help but feel like I've been a little left out, but the happiness that I'm feeling right now won't let anything else ruin this moment.

He looks back at me.

Gaara: "Akia… I heard you when you screamed my name back there. It was the last thing I heard before I…"

"Gaara. I'm so glad you're back."

Gaara: "Are you crying…?"

He wipes away my tears and I try to hide them and keep them from coming out.

Matsuri, Gaara's old student, and a few of her female friends come and start fangirling over Gaara. It got me a little annoyed. Is that what they call jealousy? Because I don't like it one bit.

In the end, Lady Chiyo is carried away to the village with Gaara following and finally all those who were on the retrieval mission. I got there last. I was already embarrassed enough that Gaara had to see me crying. It's so unprofessional of a chunin or any ninja for that matter of fact, but it was a little more forgivable for a genin.

At the Sand Village, we all focused on regaining our strength and Lady Chiyo's funeral was scheduled a few hours later. We all rest until then.

At Lady Chiyo's funeral, it was all very solemn. Sakura in particular was very down about Lady Chiyo's death. After the end of the funeral, we all get ready to say goodbye.

Gaara: "You all are welcome to stay a little longer."

Kakashi-sensei: "We appreciate your hospitality, Lord Kazekage, but Konohagakure needs its shinobi."

If it was up to me, I would stay a little longer. Gaara then shakes Naruto's hand, after much hesitation. He's not very used to that is he. I can't help but smile at that.

Gaara: "You should smile more often…"

I look at Gaara, surprised by what he said.

"You should try smiling more often too."

Gaara: "Heh…"

He looks down and I spot a small smile on his face. This triggers an even bigger smile on my face that I try to hide with my hands. Gaara then takes my hands away from my face.

Gaara: "You don't need to hide it."

My cheeks are flaming… I realize that I'm blushing again… a lot.

Temari: "Ahem…"

Temari's interruption makes us both look away from embarrassment. Gaara lets my hands go and starts scratching the back of his head.

Gaara: "Well… Uh… I'll contact Lady Tsunade and thank her for sending you to help."

Kakashi-sensei: "Yes, thank you. We will be taking our leave now."

On our way back, Sakura was pretty quiet because of Lady Chiyo's sacrifice. Naruto, on the other hand, didn't stop teasing me about the way I act around Gaara… and the way Gaara acts around me.

Naruto: "Akki-chan, your face was priceless! I've never seen you blush before and it was a spectacular blush at that, haha!"

"Naruto, if you say one more word about this I'll make you snake food!"

Naruto: "Hey you know I'm right. You like him don't you?"

"…I never said that!"

I can't have feelings like that right now… I should focus on my job as a ninja. Feelings will just slow me down. I can't deny the fact that Gaara makes me feel… weird… not like how I usually am. He's different. I can't help but feel like I'll miss him…

In any case, I need to focus on my future missions and accomplish them in the best of my ability. Next time I see Gaara, I'll try to figure out what those feelings are, but, for now, I should stop thinking about them.


	30. Requested

On our way back, Kakashi-sensei was very drained from his fight with Deidara after having to use his Mangekyo Sharingan. That's when Guy-sensei had the… very innovative idea to give him a piggyback ride all the back to Konoha.

When we arrived at Konoha, Kakashi-sensei was sent to the hospital. Team 7's only members were now Naruto and Sakura. I went straight back home after reaching the village; I had a lot of things on my mind.

I lay down on my bed and stare at the ceiling. Somehow I can't get my mind off Gaara. I start thinking about how scared and helpless I was, hearing his muffled screams on the other end of the boulder. Why am I so weak…? I couldn't do anything to save him. But… what could I have done? My mind started wavering to the memory of his hands. How his hands were so soft on mine. They were warm, as well. They were bigger than mine and I felt so safe with him holding my hands. It's bothering me, but I still keep smiling like an idiot whenever I remember the feelings I felt. For now… I should go to sleep…

The next day, I wake up and head out. I bump into Sakura who was on her way to the Hokage's office.

"What's the rush Sakura?"

Sakura: "Lady Tsunade is going to introduce us to the new Team 7 members. I can't be late for that, see you later!"

I wonder if Naruto will be able to get along with the new members. A little later, I see the new Team 7 going towards the village gates. I catch up with them and ask Naruto about where they're going to.

Naruto: "Sasori has a spy working for him who's supposed to meet him somewhere tomorrow. That spy was spying on Orochimaru while pretending to be working for him. We're going to meet that spy to get more information on Sasuke and everything else."

"Orochimaru… Why didn't Lady Tsunade assign me to this mission?"

Naruto: "Maybe she has another mission for you, who knows."

This is annoying… If I went to this mission, I would've been one step closer to finding Orochimaru and getting my revenge on him. I realized lately that I started to forget about my revenge. One of the main causes was the weird feelings I got when I was around Gaara.

"Hey Naruto… Who are your new teammates?"

Naruto: "Oh! This is Yamato-sensei! And that other guy's name is Sai…"

"Something wrong with Sai?"

Naruto: "Everything is wrong with that guy! He pisses me off! Anyway, we have to go now. See you later, Akki-chan."

They all leave on their mission. I should go talk to Lady Tsunade about wanting her to assign me to missions related to Orochimaru. I get to her office, but Shizune stops me at the door.

Shizune: "I'm really sorry Akia… Lady Tsunade is very busy right now. She can't talk to anyone at the moment. Come back a little later."

I guess I have the day off then… What should I do? I guess I'll walk around.

Night falls and I decide to go back home and call it a day.

Two days later, Lady Tsunade calls me to her office.

Lady Tsunade: "Akia. I have a mission for you."

"Finally. I was getting bored."

Lady Tsunade: "I was keeping you free just for that mission. You were specifically requested by the client."

Specifically requested…

"Don't tell me it's the Daimyo's snotty son…"

Lady Tsunade: "No, don't worry. I wouldn't do that to you twice."

That's a relief.

"But then… who is it?"

Lady Tsunade: "As you know, the Chunin exams are approaching."

"Yes…"

Lady Tsunade: "The organizers of the Chunin exams are from Sunagakure and Konohagakure. The one from Konoha is Nara Shikamaru. The one from Sunagakure is Temari. As you know, Temari is not only the Kazekage's sister, but she's also the one who helps him out with everything, a little like a personal assistant. With her gone, they need someone else to take her place."

"Can't they get someone from Sunagakure?"

Lady Tsunade: "That's what I thought they would do, but it turns out that the Kazekage himself requested you to take Temari's place for the few days she'll be gone."

"Gaara… The Kazekage requested me?"

Lady Tsunade: "Indeed he did. Temari will be leaving Sunagakure soon. You have to get there before she can leave. She needs to show you around and tell you what you're supposed to do."

"Yes, Lady Tsunade. I will be on my way then."

Lady Tsunade: "Good. Now I found out how much easier for you to use messenger snakes instead of messenger birds. It would've been better if I knew that from you and not directly from the snake… I almost had a heart attack seeing that snake you sent last time… But at least now I know. I won't try to kill it when it comes this time."

"I'm sorry to have startled you, Lady Tsunade. I'll try to choose a cuter one next time."

I giggled a little at the thought of Lady Tsunade in a panic. It would've been worth seeing.

Lady Tsunade: "Don't bother… They all look the same to me… Now, go on your way then!"

I leave Lady Tsunade's office and get ready for my journey. I wonder why Gaara requested me. Did he… miss me? No way! I must be out of my mind. I'll just ask him when I get there.


	31. First Day in Sunagakure

When I arrive in Sunagakure, I am greeted by Temari.

Temari: "Come on I have a lot to show you."

"Hey, by the way, do you have any ideas why I was chosen for this?"

Temari: "Yeah, Gaara wanted it to be you."

"…Why?"

Temari: "You still don't get it? You'll figure it out on your own, it's pretty obvious."

What's obvious? Why can't she just tell me?

We arrive at the Kazekage's mansion, where she shows me around the place I'll be living in for the next week.

Temari: "This is the Kazekage's room. I can't show you inside. Gaara doesn't really let anyone in."

I wonder if I'll be able to see what his room looks like. I'm pretty curious… Does he sleep now that the Shukaku's no longer inside of him? She then shows me her room and Kankuro's room. She also shows me the kitchen, the bathroom, the different rooms…

Temari: "Finally, here's your room."

"It's really close to Gaara's."

Temari: "That's because you'll be faster to reach if he needs you. Don't get any ideas now."

She giggles and pokes my arm.

"I… I wasn't thinking of anything!"

Now that she said that, I'm starting to get ideas… Late night visits maybe… Oh, what am I thinking! He's the Kazekage, I'm just here to fulfill my mission that he asked me to do. Besides, he's pretty popular with the girls here. I think he'd rather be with someone from his own village anyways.

Temari: "Of course you weren't… Moving on, I'll bring you to Gaara's office since you need to report your arrival."

"Yes, of course."

We get to Gaara's office. My heart starts racing faster all of a sudden. I don't know how to control that! Akia, what is wrong with you? Why does Gaara affect me this way? And so easily too…

Temari: "Here we are!"

She opens the door. I see Gaara sitting behind his desk, looking at us.

Temari: "Gaara, my temporary replacement arrived."

Gaara: "Come in, Akia."

Temari: "Well, I'll be on my way. You guys have fun!"

Temari leaves us. Fun? What fun? I'm here for a mission not a vacation!

Gaara: "I'm glad you made it, Akia."

"Thank you, Ga… I mean… Lord Kazekage."

Gaara: "Please, call me Gaara. I don't want you too to be formal with me."

"Oh… Sure thing, Gaara."

Gaara: "That sounds better."

Gaara shows me around his office and tells me about the different tasks that Temari did.

Gaara: "You might get a little lost at first. You can always ask me for help."

"I'll make sure to do that. Temari is pretty amazing for keeping up with all this work."

Now that I think of it, she's like Shizune, a little. Just that Shizune has one more task than Temari… Shizune has to keep Lady Tsunade awake, unlike Gaara. I don't think he's the type to put sleep before his work. If he sleeps…

For most of the day, I'm passing Gaara documents and sending messengers to find Sand shinobi to take on missions. Once in a while, I would bring Gaara a little snack. He never asks for one, but, when I get it for him, he's clearly happy to finally eat something. From what I noticed, he doesn't really like sweet things. He'd eat them, but he'd rather not. I'm learning more things about him by just being there, helping him with his work. For someone else, this mission wouldn't be very exciting, but, for me, this is probably one of the most exciting missions I've been on. Maybe not exciting in terms of action, but exciting in terms of… other things…

The day comes to an end.

Gaara: "You did a great job today."

"I tried to do my best."

Gaara: "Do you want to go for a stroll? I'll show you around the village."

"Sure."

We walk around in silence.

"The breeze is nice."

Gaara: "The desert is beautiful at night."

"I noticed that you don't like sweet things?"

Gaara looks at me with a surprised face.

Gaara: "You're observant."

"It's my job as a ninja."

I can't tell him it's because I want to know more about him…

Gaara: "You're a good kunoichi."

Gaara looks away.

"Gaara… I wanted to ask you… Why did you chose me for this job?"

Gaara: "Why are you asking? You don't like the mission?"

"No, that's not what I meant. I'm really happy and honoured that you chose me for this. It's just I was wondering why me when there are Sand shinobi that can help you with this… They'd also know much more about how things work here."

Gaara: "I wanted to get to know you better."

Oh no… I'm blushing again… This is getting uncontrollable…

"You know… I think I also wanted to learn more about you… That's why I was so observant…"

I look at Gaara and see a little smile on his face. Did he smile because of me? The thought makes me smile as well. I realized how much we both smile in each other's company. I'd like this stroll to go on for a while longer…


	32. Nightmares

We go back to the mansion. It's a shame that the night stroll ended so quickly.

Gaara: "Goodnight."

"Wait, Gaara…"

Gaara: "Is there something wrong?"

"No I was just curious whether you're able to sleep now that the Shukaku's been removed."

Gaara: "Hmm… Some nights I can sleep. Some others I can't."

"Why can't you…?"

Gaara: "Nightmares."

"Oh… Well… Goodnight."

On my way to my room, I bump into Kankuro.

Kankuro: "Hey there. I just got back from my mission. You've been able to adjust and settle in?"

"Yeah… Gaara and Temari were a great help."

Kankuro: "Well, I guess you're going to sleep so goodnight then."

"Kankuro… What happens when Gaara can't sleep from nightmares?"

Kankuro: "Well… He groans and screams. We still don't know how to help him get over this fear of sleep."

"Thanks for telling me…"

I go to my room after saying goodnight to Kankuro. I lie down on the bed and start thinking about a lot of things.

I feel guilty… Guilty for enjoying this mission more than I have to. Guilty for casting away my revenge against Orochimaru and trying to forget my past by having feelings for Gaara… Tonight confirmed to me that I am not indifferent to Gaara. I start dozing off while being deep in my thoughts.

I wake up to screams coming from Gaara's room. Is he having nightmares? I should go check, see if I could help. He sounds so terrified and in pain. I rush to his room and open the door. I find Gaara topless, drenched in sweat and squirming in his futon. I get close to him and put my hand on his shoulder.

"Gaara…"

He wakes up and looks at me with terrified eyes.

"It's okay… It was just a nightmare."

Gaara: "Akia…"

He sits up and buries his head in his palms.

Gaara: "I… don't know what to do about this…"

I want to help, but what can I do…

"Gaara, I can stay with you until you fall asleep… if it's okay with you."

Gaara: "I don't want to bother you with that. Go get some sleep."

"I can't get sleep if you scream at night. Let me stay with you. Maybe it'll help you feel more at ease when you sleep…"

Gaara: "…Okay… Thank you for this."

"I'm glad to help a friend."

Gaara: "A friend…"

Maybe more… But I can't tell him that… I don't want to bother him with my thoughts.

"Lie down, I'll sit here until you fall asleep."

I go sit on the edge of the futon. Gaara lies back down and looks at me.

"If you want to fall asleep, you should close your eyes…"

Gaara: "Right…"

Gaara closes his eyes. He looks a little tense, though… I wonder… If I played in his hair, maybe he'll feel more relaxed.

I reach out my hand and start combing his hair with my fingers. Gaara opens his eyes. I take my hand away quickly.

"Oh! I'm sorry! I thought it would help you relax…"

I'm blushing like mad…

Gaara: "Don't stop. It works."

He closes his eyes again and I hesitate a little into playing with his hair again. He then grabs my hand and puts it in his hair. I guess he really wants me to keep playing in his hair. I play in his hair for a while. His hair is soft… He looks a lot more relaxed. I'm feeling a little sleepy too… My eyes feel heavy… I keep… yawning…

The next morning, I wake up and see Gaara's face right next to mine.

Gaara: "Good morning."

"No way!"

I jump up on my feet. Did I actually fall asleep next to Gaara last night?

"I'm so sorry, Gaara! I fell asleep next to you, I didn't know, I…"

Gaara: "It's fine. Thanks to you, I was able to have a peaceful night."

"Oh… It's nothing…"

He's topless too! I forgot that major detail…

"Well… I guess I'll go get myself ready for today's work…"

Gaara: "I'll come see you when I get ready."

"O… Okay…"

I leave Gaara's room and head to my own where I get dressed in my ninja gear. I wash myself up and I hear a knock on my door.

Gaara: "You ready?"

"Yes, I'm coming."

I open the door to my room and follow Gaara to his office. I can't seem to be able to look him in the face… I can't believe I was so careless! How can I just fall asleep like that? I should keep some distance for now… I'm way too confused.

The whole day, I didn't talk much to Gaara. I just did my work in silence. At the end of the day, Gaara came up to me.

Gaara: "Is something wrong?"

I avoid his gaze.

"N… Nothing…"

Gaara: "Look at me. Did I hurt you?"

"N… No! It's not you… Well…"

He lifts my chin up to have direct eye contact. I avert my eyes.

Gaara: "There's something wrong, isn't there…"

"Maybe…"

Gaara: "You can tell me."

"I just think I've been getting really too close to you. And it makes me very confused for some reason."

Gaara removes his hand from under my chin.

Gaara: "To tell you the truth, I've felt the same way."

So… does he also think that we should try to keep our distances? Even if I think that, somehow it hurts if I figure out that he does too…


	33. Love?

"Do you think that we should keep our distances?"

I really don't want him to say yes, but I think we do need it…

Gaara: "Why?"

"What…?"

Gaara: "Why do you want us to keep our distances from each other?"

"Because… I've never been so confused in my entire life."

Gaara: "Avoiding it will make us more confused."

"You're right… What do you suggest then?"

Suddenly, Gaara hugs me. A hug? Why?

"G… Gaara?"

Gaara: "I don't know. All I know is that I want to get closer to you. I would never want to keep away from you, Akia."

"Gaara…"

I can hear his racing heartbeat. It's so warm… I feel so safe, I don't want this to end… I close my eyes and wrap my arms around him as well. After a while, we let go and Gaara holds my hands in his. He's smiling. It's such a kind and happy smile. I can't seem to control my facial expression either…

Gaara: "I've never felt so happy."

"Me neither… I'm really sorry for trying to avoid you. I wasn't thinking straight…"

Gaara: "I wasn't thinking straight either when I hugged you."

I giggle and look down. Gaara then lifts my chin up. He looks me straight in the eye. He gets closer… closer… and… Kankuro barges in. We get away from each other out of embarrassment.

Kankuro: "What was going on in here? Sorry to interrupt, but there's an urgent report from one of the missions."

Gaara: "Y… Yes. What is it?"

Kankuro: "…Gaara? Stuttering? Now I've seen everything!"

Gaara: "What is the report, Kankuro?"

Kankuro: "Yes, well, one of our spies found out a little about what the Akatsuki are after."

The Akatsuki… The ones who took Gaara's life once.

Gaara: "Tell me."

Kankuro: "All we found out, is that they're after all the tailed beasts. They're likely to go after Naruto soon."

"Why would they…?"

Oh no. I think I know why… They're planning to revive the Shinju… On a large scale. I have a fraction of the Shinju's chakra with all the tailed beasts' chakras. If they take the whole tailed beasts, the real Shinju in full power could be revived. It's just a hypotheses though… I shouldn't say anything about this until I'm sure it's right.

Kankuro: "Who knows? We're trying to figure it out."

Gaara: "Thank you, Kankuro. Send this information to Konohagakure's Hokage."

Kankuro: "Of course. I'll leave you two alone to continue where you left off, hehe."

Gaara: "Shut up, Kankuro."

Kankuro leaves. I'm still deep in thought. If I'm right, if the Shinju is revived, it'll cause nothing but destruction.

Gaara: "Akia?"

"Yes… Sorry, I just… have a lot on my mind."

Gaara: "Something bothering you?"

"No it's nothing. We should get going, don't you think?"

Gaara: "You're right. By the way, there's a festival tomorrow night. You want to come with me?"

A festival… I've been to plenty at Konohagakure, but never with a guy I liked. It'll be good to get my mind off things.

In my room, I can't seem to fall asleep with all the thoughts swirling in my mind. So many things happened. I confirmed to myself that I like Gaara. I felt his warmth and knew that he liked me back. Then there's the news about the Akatsuki. Finally, Orochimaru has always been invading my mind, like a plague. I could never seem to erase him from my mind. He'll be like my eternal nightmare as long as he's not dead. As soon as I know his whereabouts, I'll do everything to take him down.

A knock on my door snatches me away from my thoughts. I wonder who it is at this time. I go and open the door to find a shirtless Gaara. Does he always sleep without a top? Probably… I'm just minding it too much…

"Something wrong, Gaara?"

Gaara: "Can I sleep next to you again tonight?"

"S… Sure."

I let him in.

Gaara: "Thank you, Akia."

He takes my hand and leads me to my futon.

"Are you having nightmare again?"

Gaara: "No, but I'd rather take my precautions."

"Am I nightmare-proof or something?"

Gaara: "Maybe you are."

We both laugh. I lie down next to Gaara. We're both facing each other. This time, he's the one who starts playing in my hair.

"Shouldn't I be the one helping you sleep?"

Gaara: "I noticed that you had a lot on your mind."

Did he come here to help me sleep instead of the other way around?

"How did you know that I couldn't sleep because of it?"

Gaara: "I could hear you moving around restlessly on your futon."

So he did come here for my sake, not his…

"Gaara… Thank you."

Gaara smiles and continues playing in my hair. I end up dozing off with his soft rhythmical caresses.


	34. The End of a Dream

The next day, I help out Gaara as much as I can. Kankuro would come in once in a while to say hi or check on things. He'd always give us weird looks before leaving.

Gaara: "Akia, can you get me some water?"

"Sure thing. I'll be right back."

Gaara: "Come back quickly."

I look back at him and he smiles like a child.

"I'll take all my time there."

Gaara: "Don't or I'll miss you."

Since when did he become so adorable? They say love can change people. I might be starting to see why they say that… It is love, isn't it… I go out of Gaara's office to get him water. On my way there, I bump into Kankuro.

"Hey there. You're going to see Gaara?"

Kankuro: "I am. Thanks for all your hard work here. Without you I think he would've been panicking about all the work."

"I didn't do much. He can handle himself pretty well."

Kankuro: "You seem really happy… Something good happened last night?"

"N… No! What are you talking about?"

Kankuro: "It's either that or the world is coming to an end. Gaara's smiling way too much today."

"Whatever you say… I need to get Gaara some water he wants me to get back there."

Kankuro: "Why? He's not the type to rush people."

"I… I don't know! Ask him!"

Kankuro is asking way too many questions. I'm not totally ready to talk to him about it and besides, I need to get this water to Gaara.

I bring Gaara's water and he welcomes me with another smile.

Gaara: "Thank you for this."

He takes the cup of water and puts it on his desk. He turns back to me and gives me a hug.

"Gaara! What if someone comes in?"

Gaara: "It doesn't matter."

He lets me go after a bit and gets back to his desk.

Gaara: "I feel so lucky to have you."

Did he just say that? I'm pretty sure he did! And I'm also pretty sure it's the reason why I feel all fuzzy…

The day comes to an end and Gaara and I get ready to leave.

Gaara: "You ready to go to the festival with me?"

"Of course I am. I'm looking forward to it."

He takes my hand and leads me to where the festival is being held.

It's dark outside, but the lanterns hung up for the festival light up the streets. Many people are gathered out, playing some traditional games, eating street food, enjoying themselves. There are a lot of couples around. Are we one of them now?

Walking hand in hand brought a lot of attention to us… And not all were good.

"Isn't that the Kazekage…"

"What is he doing with this Konoha girl…"

"Don't you know…"

"She's that girl…"

"The daughter of that…"

"The one who killed our previous Kazekage…"

"What if…"

"She could do the same…"

"What's the Kazekage thinking?!..."

Wherever I go, I can't seem to escape these whisperings. What bothers me the most, however, is that I got Gaara involved in it. I let go of his hand.

Gaara: "What's wrong?"

"I don't think I'm very liked…"

Gaara: "…Do you want to go somewhere else?"

"I'm okay. Don't worry about me. You go enjoy the rest of the festival. I'll go back to the mansion."

Gaara: "I won't leave you."

"I don't want to drag you into my bad reputation."

Gaara: "Let's go somewhere else. Together."

He grabs my hand again and takes me away from the crowd. We spend the rest of the evening without saying much. Even if it happened to me before to be judged because I'm Orochimaru's daughter, it still bothers me to some extent. Until now, Orochimaru somehow manages to mess my life up just by existing.

Gaara: "Akia. You shouldn't think too much about what other people say."

"I don't mind what they say about me. It's getting you involved in this that bothers me."

Gaara: "From now on, everything that concerns you concerns me as well. It goes the other way around too. I… I love you, Akia."

Was that… a confession?

"Gaara… I love you too…"

Gaara: "Then please, always tell me what bothers you. I'm there for you. I'll always be."

The days go by. The week is almost over. I wonder how Gaara will be able to fall asleep without me… I'll miss him… a lot… I'll miss our walks after a day of work. This mission was like a dream to me. A beautiful dream… I could get my mind off so many things during the time I was here. Gaara helped me stop worrying about what will happen tomorrow or the day after… But… Everything come to an end. Tomorrow, Temari will be back…

That night, Gaara came to my room like all the previous nights.

We both lie down and he hugs me tightly. This time, it felt more tight than usual…

Gaara: "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too…"


	35. Weakness

On my way back to the village, I didn't stop thinking about Gaara and when I'll be able to see him again. What are my priorities now? I wanted to ask Lady Tsunade to give me missions that have connections to Orochimaru… But now I feel like I want to ask her to give me missions that are related to Sunagakure. What am I thinking? Am I really going to forget about my goal? My purpose? I need to get rid of Orochimaru. It'll be good for everyone.

I see the end of the desert. I enter the forest. Something… or someone is following me… They're getting closer… Who would target me? Bandits? Rogue ninjas? I don't see why anyone else would… My curse mark… it's burning… the closer that person gets, the more it burns. It can't be… Orochimaru? There're two people following me. Shuriken are thrown at me from behind. I turn around and block them. I land on a branch.

"Who's there?"

More shuriken are thrown at me. I dodge them and someone tries to kick me from behind. I turn around and block their foot. I look at who attacked me and…

"Kabuto?"

Kabuto jumps back and lands on a branch.

Kabuto: "You've become quite the fighter."

"She's my daughter after all."

From behind a tree, Orochimaru appears. My curse mark is reacting more than ever. This is bad. I need to send a message to Konoha in case something happens to me. I send a summon one of the small snakes from Ryuuchi Cave. This one is known to be pretty fast. I send him to Konoha. Hopefully he'll get there in time.

Kabuto: "A smart move. But it'll be too late."

"What do you want from me?"

Orochimaru: "I'm here to take back what belongs to me."

"I have nothing of use to you."

Orochimaru: "You are of use to me. I didn't quite finish my experiments on you. Many things got in the way of retrieving you. Now, I finally found the perfect opportunity."

"I won't let you get me."

Kabuto: "You're no match against both of us."

We'll see about that… Time for an old friend of mine to appear.

"Summoning jutsu."

Neiko appears from a wall of white smoke. She's become bigger than I ever thought she would. I can't see her head from the tree branches. I look like an ant next to her. I climb up to her head.

Neiko: "Akia. You finally called for my help."

"You talk now!"

Neiko: "Of course I do. I see it's like a family reunion here."

Kabuto: "She summoned a white snake! Lord Orochimaru…"

Orochimaru: "She's grown much more than I thought. However, I've studied the white snake to know what their weakness is."

Weakness…?

Orochimaru: "Two can play at that game. Summoning jutsu."

Orochimaru summons Manda, the giant purple snake I met at the Ryuuchi Cave. Him and Neiko are about the same size.

Manda: "Orochimaru. You're asking me to take on the white snake? Are you out of your mind?"

Neiko: "Akia, no matter how much I want to protect you, I cannot go against a fellow snake. You'll have to fight this one on your own as long as there are other snakes involved."

"But, Neiko! I need you!"

Neiko: "I'm sorry…"

Orochimaru: "As I thought. White snakes are loyal to their master, but they feel more responsibility towards the other snakes, considering that they're the strongest type."

This isn't happening. This can't be happening! I don't have enough time to activate my Sage Mode. I'll just rely on my own strength. I extract my sword.

Orochimaru: "So… You want to have a sword battle, my pleasure."

He extracts his own sword. I charge and swing my sword at him. He dodges and tries hit me from behind. I crouch and jump backwards. This time, he charges and takes a full swing at me. I try to block his sword with mine, but he cuts right through the blade.

"My sword…"

His swing wounds me on my right shoulder. I try to get away from him.

Orochimaru: "Many Hidden Shadow Snakes."

His snakes bind me down. Orochimaru then approaches me.

Orochimaru: "You think you had a chance against me? You're just a weak copy of me."

"Stay away!"

Orochimaru: "I can make you stronger."

No I won't let him take me! I don't want to go back to that place! I feel the Shinju's power trying to take over. I won't try and hold it back this time… It's my only hope… My hands start getting covered with wood. I feel so much stronger. I get myself out of the snakes that were binding me.

Orochimaru: "So… My experiment succeeded to some extent."

I charge at Orochimaru try to punch him. He dodges. I keep trying to get close, but all he's doing is dodging. What is he trying to do? I feel the Shinju's power fading. So that was what he was aiming for…

Orochimaru: "Well, that proves that my experiment was not perfect. It seems that it doesn't last for long. I'll have to take care of that."

I feel… faint… This took way too much chakra. Why am I so weak? How can I take revenge on him if I'm that weak? I just hope that Konoha got my message…


	36. Lost Revenge

"…Her curse mark has been asleep…"

Where am I…? Everything is dark… I can hear voices…

"…Reactivate the…"

My mind feels foggy… What happened? I try to move. I'm not able to move… Am I paralyzed?

"…Maybe it'll get stronger with the activation…"

Who's talking? What are they talking about? I have a bad feeling about this. I need to get out of here. I… can't move! More like… I can't feel my body. I open my eyes and I try to look around. I see… Orochimaru and Kabuto. I'm lying down? No… Please, not again! I don't want to be tested on! Get me out of here! Gaara… save me…

Orochimaru: "I see you're finally awake."

Kabuto: "Don't try to struggle, I've injected you with a paralysis poison."

I can't even move my mouth. All I can do is control my eyes which make me realize the kind of mess I'm in. What are they going to do to me this time…? I just wish I could get out of here. Did Lady Tsunade get my message? I know that Ragon, the snake I sent, would be able to locate me. I just hope he made it there safely… and fast enough.

Orochimaru: "Prepare the ritual, Kabuto."

Kabuto: "Yes, Lord Orochimaru."

What ritual? I heard them talking about my curse mark being asleep. Are they planning on doing to me the same thing they did to Sasuke? Taking the curse mark to the second level? What's the point? I'm starting to feel less numb… I can move my lips a little…

"W… What… are… you…"

Kabuto: "Impressive. Your body is pretty good at fighting poisons. No wonder you're Orochimaru's daughter."

"What… are you going to… do to me?"

Orochimaru: "I just want to test my theory, dear. If I'm correct, when I awaken your curse mark and upgrade it, the Shinju inside will also grow. I noticed that it's still as small and pitiful as when I first injected you with it. But this will all change."

Kabuto: "We're ready to proceed, Lord Orochimaru."

Orochimaru: "Good. Let us begin."

I still can't move! I can't let them do this. If this goes wrong I can die or worse, become a threat to people I care about. If I lose control over the Shinju… If it becomes stronger…

Kabuto lifts me and puts me in the middle of a ritual circle.

"Don't… You'll regret it…"

Kabuto: "We'll see about that."

A few moments pass and suddenly, I start feeling my curse mark burning. The intensifies beyond any I've ever even imagined. It hurts! It hurts so much! It's so painful that I can't even scream. My eyes roll back, my mouth is widely open and I start drooling. I feel my consciousness fading. Someone… Please… Get me out of here…

I open my eyes. I feel sore… I look around. Where am I? Prison…? Why am I in a cell?

"So in the end, you were captured."

Who said that? I see someone's feet approaching the cell. I look up and…

"Sasuke!"

Sasuke: "Look at what you've been reduced to…"

I get up on my wobbly feet. I go towards the metal bars separating me from Sasuke. I touch them and, immediately, an electric shock travels all through my body.

"Ah…"

Sasuke: "Do you really think that they'd put you in there without any prevention?"

"Sasuke… I know you're not our ally anymore, but… please help me get out of here."

Sasuke: "Why would I?"

"A rescue team will be on its way soon. If you don't want to get involved in the mess, you should help me get out before they get here."

Sasuke: "How would they find you?"

"I made sure they would."

This is partly a bluff, because I still don't know if my message reached them… Let's hope he buys it.

Sasuke: "Clever."

"Why are you here anyway?"

Sasuke: "I came here to tell you that your revenge on Orochimaru will not be fulfilled."

"Why…?"

Sasuke: "I already killed him."

What…? Orochimaru's… dead?

"You're… lying…"

Sasuke: "Not really. I'm also here to let go of all the prisoners he kept."

With that, he slashes open my prison with his sword.

Sasuke: "I'll be on my way. Don't you dare follow me or I'll kill you."

I can't believe this… Orochimaru's dead? But then… How am I supposed to get rid of this curse mark? Why would Sasuke kill Orochimaru? Is this really it? Why don't I feel relieved? I still sense his presence everywhere… like he's not fully gone yet. Sasuke probably figured out something that I still don't know. I should look around this hideout. I'll probably find some answers here. I still feel weak… I hope there won't be too many traps around here. If Orochimaru's dead, how about Kabuto? Did he escape? If I ever see that bastard again, I'll personally take his life.


	37. Orochimaru's Secrets

I should start looking around… even if it costs me my life, I need answers. Why would Sasuke kill Orochimaru now? Why now? What was Orochimaru really after? I bet there is some sort of information hidden in this hideout. I'm still feeling pretty sore… I get out of the cell and head towards the end of the hallway. I feel my strength coming back at a pretty fast rate. I feel so much more powerful… Is that the effect of the upgraded curse mark…? It makes me sick to feel stronger only because of Orochimaru. It's as if my own strength has no value.

I make it out of the hallway and find myself in a circular room with a high ceiling. I head for the stairs and start climbing. At the end of the stairs, I find myself faced with one of those famous corridors that seem to be in every hideout Orochimaru made. There's one major difference though… There are no doors. I keep walking. I go through many corridors, but still nothing. I finally get to the fourth corridor and there's one door. One door only? After all this? Wait… am I under a genjutsu? I go towards the only door I see. I think I should check if I'm really under a genjutsu.

"Release."

I look around and the corridor gets filled with doors. So I was under a genjutsu after all. Why is it only this door, though? Is it a trap? Why go through all this trouble to strengthen me just to kill me with a lame trap? I'm sure Orochimaru had a valid reason for doing this.

I open the door and find myself in a room that looks like a small library. Scrolls and books are lined up on shelves. Is this… a part of Orochimaru's research? Did he actually want me to see this? I won't have time to through it all… And if the Konoha shinobi ever find this place, it'll all go to the deciphering and research departments. I should store them away with me. I know it's against the rules, but I have the right to know. If they ever find me with this, I might be imprisoned or even executed… Is it worth the risk…? I can't just cast all this aside. I need to know.

I start storing all the things about forbidden jutsu, and Orochimaru's personal logs. I put them inside my mouth and other snakes. I'll be able to retrieve them anytime by summoning them. I leave out the research and prisoner logs, and the complicated medical stuff. I should run away from Konoha, but Ragon might be trying to track me down right now. I should go back to Konoha and, whenever I get the chance, I'll try to read these. I should start by finding my way out. This shouldn't be too hard… Orochimaru's hideouts are full of emergency exits in case he's about to get caught. I just need to spread my chakra around. The hideout will recognize it as Orochimaru's.

I concentrate my chakra on the hideout's walls, ceiling and floor. I start walking around and, finally, my chakra uncovers a hole in the ceiling. This must be a direct exit to the surface. I wonder where I really am in the world.

I get out of the hideout and take a look around. I'm in a desert, but not the one in the Land of Wind. This desert is more rocky. Am I in the Land of Lightning? No wonder the rescue team is taking so long. It's more than a week of travelling to get here. I should get out of here before I'm spotted by Kumogakure ninja. They're not exactly allies of Konohagakure.

I travel a few days to get to the coast. There, I take a boat to the Land of Fire's coast. This also takes me a few days and then I start travelling through the Land of Fire. I finally get to Konoha after eight days of travelling.

I go to report back to Lady Tsunade.

Lady Tsunade: "Akia! Did the rescue team get to you?"

"Nobody did… Sasuke got me out."

Lady Tsunade: "Sasuke? I'm so sorry, Akia. There were no shinobi available when I got your message. What happened?"

I tell her everything, except the part of Orochimaru's mini-library. She told me to go rest while she figures out a way to take care of my curse mark. Ramon will probably bring the rescue team back to Konoha in a few days.

I go back to my room where I seal shut everything to start looking at Orochimaru's documents. I start by opening a scroll that contains a lot of information about a jutsu. It's called the Reanimation Jutsu. This one, however, is much more advanced that the one Gaara and I fought. Apparently, it needs living corpses to work. A life for a life… The reanimations are under the user's control.

I continue reading a few scrolls. And what I find explains to me why Sasuke killed Orochimaru now. Apparently, Orochimaru figured out a way to remain immortal. He just needed to take over other bodies before his decayed. He could only do it after a certain amount of time in one body. Orochimaru probably wanted to take over Sasuke's body, but couldn't until now. That's why Sasuke got rid of him before he could do that.

I should burn these. It'll do no good for anyone. It's better if it never falls in anyone's hands. I start burning the texts as I read them. I finally get to the last book. It looks like a yearly diary. Orochimaru kept a diary?

Maybe in there, he explains why he did all those horrible things. Not like I'll ever forgive him…


	38. Orochimaru's Ambitions

This book looks really old. There are a lot of scratched out parts and faded out ones. Not all pages are there, not even any full pages remain. I can manage to read some passages if I try hard enough. I flip to the first readable page. The writing looks very organized, but rushed at the same time.

Our squad has been assigned to higher level missions. Naturally, witnessing other comrades' deaths is inevitable.

It goes back to the time he was still in the village. He sure started writing this early. Maybe even earlier than what I can read…

Tsunade's little brother died recently. Human beings are weak.

People keep dying too easily.

Tsunade's recent lover died. She's devastated. I will not end up in such a pitiful state.

A lot of pages are missing. The passages are very short. This will take more effort to understand.

Learning jutsu takes time.

One lifetime will not be enough.

I need more time.

I will surpass all humans.

There it is. My key to immortality. This forbidden jutsu will allow me to live on forever. All I need is a living human body. I can acquire all of that person's skills when I reincarnate into them.

I read in one of the other scrolls about the Reincarnation jutsu. It's quite the jutsu… It benefits the user in more ways than one. This is probably what he wanted to use Sasuke for.

Forbidden jutsu require test subjects… a lot of them.

Children are the most adaptable.

Sarutobi is starting to get suspicious, especially after Anko being the only one of my students that survived. I needed to test out my new jutsu.

Anko-sensei… She wasn't alone…

The curse mark. A way for me to implant my chakra inside other beings. Not everyone can take it.

Is that what the curse mark really is? It's Orochimaru's chakra? Can I get rid of it if my chakra overpowers his? Or will it fuse with mine if it feels the similarities in our chakra? Maybe I can use it to my advantage… If I was strong enough to handle having the curse mark, I might be strong enough to control it.

Only the strongest survive.

Sarutobi found out. He came to my hideout with some shinobi to try and stop me. He didn't have it in him to kill me.

I escaped and came across a Kirigakure kunoichi. She took care of me.

Mom…

Her genetics would perfectly match mine. Our child would have the most suitable body for my experiments.

He only cared about that. If mom and I had realized sooner, none of this would've happened.

I joined the Akatsuki to try and get close to Uchiha Itachi. An Uchiha is what I want as my next vessel. Their visual jutsu is extraordinary.

Uchiha Itachi is way too powerful. If I can't get to him, then being a part of the Akatsuki is useless.

And that's why, when he found out that Sasuke was a survivor of the Uchiha clan, he went after the weaker Uchiha instead. I'm starting to make sense out of all this…

Kabuto, a very talented child, was sent as a spy. He's under a certain jutsu. If I release it, he will be free to choose who to work for.

After releasing Kabuto from under the jutsu, he chose to work for me. According to him, Sasori is the one who sent him as a spy. The Akatsuki will never leave me alone after deserting them.

She's finally pregnant with my child. I'll finally be able to achieve what I've been researching for years.

A few pages are missing, but there's a passage that stands out in the middle of the ripped pages.

There is nothing in the world more powerful than the Shinju. It is natural energy itself.

The Shinju… The real thing is probably very powerful, but I doubt this experimental Shinju is of any good.

My daughter, Akia, is finally born.

My precious little girl…

I will make her the most powerful being on this earth.

We will both live on forever.

Live on forever… Did he expect me to use the Reincarnation jutsu as well? To accept his ways? To take over his ambition?

Her mother is against it.

I don't need any weaklings by my side.

I will get rid of her when Akia reaches the perfect age to withstand my experiments.

The pages after this are all torn. I already know what happens anyway… One thing made me somewhat hate him less. I felt like, even though his methods were wrong, he kind of cared about me. I might've been the only person he actually cared about. His goal was to make me as strong as I could be so that I don't die like all the others… I think he probably cared about me, but in his own twisted way…

I should burn this too. If someone finds me with it, I could end up in a lot of trouble. I burn it like all the other texts before it. A part of me feels at peace, but another part feels like my whole legacy has been turned to ashes. It's for the best. I did however memorize the processes to performing the Reincarnation and the Reanimation jutsu. I might end up using at least one of them if the situation requires it.


	39. Sad News

Orochimaru is dead. I thought I'd feel better about knowing that, but… I'm not. And it's not because I wasn't the one that killed him. He was my father. I feel that it's a real shame that we never properly talked to each other even once in our lives. I was so obsessed with getting rid of him and he was so obsessed with his experiments. If I took the time to listen to what he wanted with me, would it have been different? Probably not. But maybe I wouldn't have felt so much hate towards him, knowing that he was doing this as much for me as it was for him. A part of my life has ended, it's time for me to start again. A new life without regrets this time.

The sun is setting. I have nothing to eat at home considering I've been gone for more than two weeks. I should go for some Ichiraku Ramen. Who knows? Maybe I'll run into Naruto and he can update me on things that happened while I've been gone. I get out of my apartment and head for Ichiraku. As I suspected, Naruto is there. It's weird though… He's not eating much. That means that something is clearly wrong. What happened while I was away?

I go in and take a seat next to him. He keeps staring at his bowl. He doesn't even realize I'm here. I poke his arm.

"Hey, Naruto."

He jumps a little and looks at me with a surprised face. Clearly he didn't notice I was there before. It surprised him too.

Naruto: "Akki-chan! You're back! Glad you're alright."

"Sasuke got me out."

Naruto looks at me with a shocked face.

Naruto: "You saw Sasuke there? How is he? How did he?"

I explain to him what happened to me and what happened to Orochimaru. I just don't mention the hidden library or the documents I got.

"Sasuke changed… For the worse. He's much stronger and there's… that dark aura… that coldness that just emanates from him."

Naruto: "At least Orochimaru is off our minds for good."

"I guess…"

Naruto: "Don't tell me you're feeling bad for that bastard?"

"That bastard was my father. I'm just regretting not trying harder to understand him that's all. I don't feel bad for him."

Naruto: "Sorry, didn't mean it to come out like that…"

"It's okay."

There's a moment of silence. Do I really feel bad for Orochimaru? Is something wrong with me? After all he did? I should get my mind off things…

"Naruto, you looked down when I was coming in. Something happened?"

Naruto: "Yeah… There are good news and really bad news."

"Start with the good news…"

Naruto: "I learned this new technique called the Rasenshuriken where I combine air with my Rasengan."

"You found your element? That's great."

Naruto: "And another piece of good news is that two of the Akatsuki are dead."

"The Akatsuki? They were here?"

Naruto: "Yeah… That's where the bad news come in…"

The Akatsuki… Were they after Naruto this time?

Naruto: "When they were spotted close to the village, Team 10 was sent with some other shinobi to get rid of them."

Team 10… Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji's team with Azuma-sensei as the leading Jonin. They have extremely good teamwork.

"So they were able to get rid of them, right?"

Naruto: "No…"

"What…? But you said that those two Akatsuki were gone…"

Naruto: "Not before that mission failed. Azuma-sensei… He was… killed by them."

Killed…? I never had the chance to actually get to know Azuma-sensei, but… I can't help but feel like someone important is just… gone now.

Naruto: "He helped me control my wind attribute. So, on the second attempt to get rid of the Akatsuki, I helped. Shikamaru had formed a plan and he intended on succeeding the mission this time around. And he did. We did. I was on that mission when Old Lady Tsunade got your message. That's kind of why I wasn't assigned to the rescue team, because, if I knew, I would've been there right away to get you."

"I'm glad to hear that."

Naruto: "So how was Gaara?"

When Naruto mentioned Gaara, an uncontrollable smile started to form on my face.

"Akki-chan… Are you blushing?"

I'm blushing too? This is bad… Naruto could tease me forever about this!

Naruto: "Do you have a fever?"

Or maybe not… He's too clueless to figure it out.

"No I'm okay… And Gaara's doing good too, last time I saw him."

Naruto: "Yeah? Because I heard that he sent a message to Old Lady Tsunade to know if you made it safely back from the mission."

"Wait did she send a reply? She should say that I am okay right? We wouldn't want to worry him for nothing…"

Naruto: "Actually, she told him the truth. First, that you weren't here yet. Then she got your message and sent him one that explained what happened. I heard that she got a reply saying how he should be the one going after you, since you were still under his responsibility until the time that you would come back here. Of course, considering he's the Kazekage, he can't just leave his village like that."

"Did Lady Tsunade send him a message telling him I was fine?"

Naruto: "Probably. It's her duty to do that anyway. He'll get the message soon I think."

I didn't want to scare him… Why did Lady Tsunade have to tell him I was in trouble? He's got enough on his mind, being the Kazekage and all… Still… I feel kind of happy he cares that much.


	40. Letter and New Mission

The next day, Lady Tsunade asks for my presence at her office. Is she giving me another mission that soon? I'm still not fully recovered from the whole curse mark upgrade. Let's hope that what she has in store for doesn't require too much effort.

I arrive at her office to find her looking through some papers. She looks up at me and I see some ink on her face. She fell asleep on the job didn't she…

Lady Tsunade: "Akia, you're here. I just wanted to give you this letter. And also give you a little vacation after all that's happened to you. You can have some time off and relax. When I need you I'll send someone to get you. Just stay in the village in case of any emergencies."

A vacation? And a letter? That's not what I expected. I guess I should be grateful for the vacation.

"Thank you, Lady Tsunade. By the way, what's this letter for?"

Lady Tsunade: "It's who it's from that's more relevant to you. The Kazekage sent it and he made it clear that he only wanted you to read it. He seems very fond of you. Did something happen between you two?"

"Uh… Well… It's nothing really…"

Lady Tsunade: "Really now… Well it's none of my business what you two youngsters do. As long as it's no threat to anything, I have no reason to know."

"Trust me, Lady Tsunade, it's no threat."

Lady Tsunade: "Well, off you go now."

I leave her office and head back to my place to have a little privacy while reading Gaara's letter.

A letter from Gaara… I wonder what he wants to say to me. Maybe another mission? But then he would've addressed Lady Tsunade about that…

I open the letter and start reading it:

Dear Akia,

I'm so sorry for everything that's happened to you. I wish I was there. I should've been there. I can't stand the idea of you being hurt. When I heard that you were captured by Orochimaru, I could only imagine the worst…

The fact that we are in two different villages, the distance that separates us, prevents me from being there for you. When we part, I realize more and more how much you mean to me.

There's so much more I want to tell you, but I'd rather do that face to face. I'll grasp any opportunity to see you.

Until then,

Gaara.

Gaara… I wish I could tell you how much you mean to me as well. I don't want him to feel guilty about not being there. It's not his fault. He has his duties as the Kazekage. I would send him letters too but it's too far for snakes and birds are out of the question. I'll have to wait until next time we meet. Next time… I'll be more honest with my feelings.

A few days pass and I enjoy my time off. I relax and have some time alone. I also catch up with Anko-sensei.

Anko-sensei: "So the curse mark is unsealed again…"

"Is there any way to seal it back?"

Anko-sensei: "At this stage, it's out of my hands. It's all up to you. You could learn to control it and use it to your advantage."

"I think I can do that…"

It's risky but this curse mark is all I have left of my father. He gave it to me so that I become stronger. I think it'll do more good than harm or all of his journal entries would've been one huge lie.

The next day, Lady Tsunade summons me to her office.

"You asked for me, Lady Tsunade?"

Lady Tsunade: "Yes, Akia."

Before she could tell me why, Team Kurenai and the new Team Kakashi with Kakashi-sensei enter the office as well.

Lady Tsunade: "Reports came in about Itachi and Kisame being near the village."

The Akatsuki are close?

Lady Tsunade: "Team Kakashi and Team Kurenai will go after them and stop them."

"What about me?"

Lady Tsunade: "Other reports have come in about a fight going on a little further. It seems that one of the ninja involved is Deidara."

Deidara! The man who took Gaara down…

Lady Tsunade: "Akia, your mission is to stand by and report anything that could be helpful to capture him. We need him alive, for interrogation."

Alive… I don't know if I can promise that… After what he did to Gaara…

"Yes, Lady Tsunade."

I go ahead of everyone to reach my destination as soon as possible. According to the coordinates, it'll take me a few hours to reach. I have to hurry or, by the time I get there, the fight could be already over and I could fail this mission. Who would fight with Deidara? And why? If our information about the Akatsuki is right, Deidara won't be alone. The Akatsuki always travel in pairs. Sasori, his previous partner, was killed by Sakura and Lady Chiyo. He probably has a new partner now. I should be on my guard.


	41. Explosion

I sense huge amounts of chakra. I must be getting close. I need to approach them unnoticed and analyse the situation. If things start getting too dangerous before reinforcements arrive, if there's anyone even available, I'll go back to the village.

I find the perfect spot to hide in one of the trees surrounding the scene and I start to look closely at the scene unfolding beneath me.

As I thought, Deidara now has a new partner. He seems… odd. He has a swirly orange mask. Now for the people they're going up against… what? Sasuke? Why?

Sasuke: "I'll ask again, where is Itachi?"

Deidara: "Why would we ever tell you that?"

He's looking for Itachi… Can he stand a chance against two Akatsuki?

Sasuke slashes through Deidara's new partner. It goes right through him, but he remains unharmed. He's much stronger than he looks. Who is he?

Deidara: "You're better than I thought, Tobi."

Tobi? Is that his name? I'll have to report this to Lady Tsunade.

Deidara and Tobi simultaneously attack Sasuke. Sasuke sees through all the attacks and counters them. A few explosions from Deidara cloud my view. I can still sense them though.

"A Konoha spy…"

Who…? I turn around and find Tobi standing behind me. That's crazy! I didn't even feel him coming. He's no ordinary shinobi…

Tobi: "You're Orochimaru's daughter, aren't you?"

"How did you…"

Tobi: "It's none of my business, really. If it's your mission to just stand there and spy, I won't stop you. It's not like it'll change anything. I need to attend to some things, but, believe me, I'll see you again."

He disappears… Just like that… Is he just going to abandon his partner? He's definitely strange… and powerful.

Sasuke: "I already found all your weaknesses. Give up while you can."

Deidara: "I haven't said my last word yet… My last piece of art!"

I sense an extreme amount of chakra. What's he planning? He reveals a stitched up mouth on his chest. He has another mouth there too? Why is it stitched up? He can't be… Last piece of art… A suicide bomb? I have to get away while I can this could be a much bigger scale than any of his previous explosions. Sasuke also got the cue that it was time to evacuate the area. Deidara unstitches the mouth on his chest and feeds it a huge amount of clay.

I start getting as far away as I can. Let's hope I get far enough. I hear Deidara's voice from behind me.

Deidara: "Art is an explosion!"

Dammit!

I open my eyes and find myself in the forest. What happened? My head hurts…

I touch the back of my head and find a slight bump and some blood smears my hand. Did I get hit on the back of my head?

I remember now… I was getting away from Deidara's suicide bomb. I got hit on the head by a branch that flew from the explosion. That guy's insane. I guess I should go look for his remains, if anything is left.

I should cover the whole explosion area. I need help for that.

"Mud Clone Jutsu."

I make five mud clones and we start covering the area and looking for Deidara or more like his remains.

After a while of searching, one of my clones finds him. I get to where he is to examine his condition.

I get there and see Deidara lying on his back. His chest is covered with blood and he's half carbonized. He's barely recognisable.

Deidara coughs blood out. He's still alive after all this? He looks at me.

Deidara: "You're that snake's daughter…"

He even has the strength to babble aimlessly. He really pisses me off, even when he's on the verge of dying.

"What's it to you now? You're half-dead."

Deidara: "I could survive…"

"Not if I end your life myself."

Deidara: "What did I ever do to make you kill me…?"

"You made Gaara suffer."

I won't let that jerk survive this, even if it's my mission to do so. I'll kill him. Besides, it's more merciful than what will be waiting for him at the interrogation.

Deidara: "Wouldn't your village want me alive?"

"They do, but I don't."

I take out my sword from my mouth.

Deidara: "The same sick tricks as Orochimaru…"

I hold the sword a few inches away from his head, right in between his eyes. All I need to do now is push down and he'll be gone.

Deidara: "That could be counted as treason towards your village…"

"That's if anyone sees this. All I'll be saying is that you killed yourself. There's enough proof for that."

I'll transform him into ashes with a fire jutsu after I kill him. There won't be anything left.

Deidara: "What if there is someone who's spying on you…? Not that it matters to me… It'd be better if you end my life right now…"

"And that's exactly what I'll do."

I press down on my sword and…

Deidara: "Ah!"

Blood gushes out of his head. Now to erase all evidence.

"Fire style: Fireball jutsu"

Deidara's body catches on fire and starts to get consumed. The stench is unbearable. I watch as his skin burns away and he slowly transforms into ashes. Was it the right thing to do? To kill him like that? To ignore my mission? It doesn't seem like it matters to me right now. All I feel is that there's one less person in the world who can hurt Gaara.

I head back to the village to report the results of my mission: Deidara used a suicide bomb and nothing remains.


	42. Punishment

I arrive at Lady Tsunade's office. She looks very preoccupied by something.

"Lady Tsunade…"

Lady Tsunade: "Akia. Is that your idea of accomplishing an important mission?"

So she knows the truth. How? Did someone follow me?

Lady Tsunade: "I get that you were very angry at Deidara, but, that does not justify killing him and wiping off important, maybe even crucial, information."

"I apologize, Lady Tsunade."

I don't regret anything. I did what should've been done to him a long time ago. I'm glad he's gone. Besides, he's probably thankful that I didn't bring him here.

Lady Tsunade: "What if the reinforcements didn't arrive in time to see what you did? You would've lied about it? Is that why you burned him to ashes?"

She sounds really angry. I'm pretty sure it's not just my mess-up that's ticking her off.

Lady Tsunade: "You better realize that this is not going to go unpunished. This is counted as high treason. You can go to jail or even face a death condemnation for this serious obstruction of the rules."

"I'm prepared to receive my punishment."

I'm pretty sure that she understands that I didn't do that as an act of treason. I might end up getting confined for a few days, maybe a few weeks.

Lady Tsunade: "We need you, Akia. Therefore, I can't get rid of you, nor do I want to. But, due to the fact that you let your emotions get the best of you, I will make you take on a special mission that will help you regulate those emotions."

"A mission?"

Lady Tsunade: "And a restriction."

"…"

Lady Tsunade: "Let's start with the restriction. You will not be allowed out of the village under any circumstances until further notice."

"What if I am asked to help out in a mission by the Kazekage?"

Lady Tsunade: "Then it will be refused and the details of why that is will be transmitted to the Kazekage."

"Don't tell him…"

Lady Tsunade: "I will say whatever is necessary to say."

A ninja who breaks the rules is scum… Gaara could despise me for doing what I did. It's a dishonour for all shinobi.

Lady Tsunade: "As for your mission, you will be Ibiki's assistant."

Ibiki? The man who was our second chunin examiner. He's known for being able to get even the toughest prisoners to talk.

Lady Tsunade: "This will help you set aside some feelings and have a more objective judgement towards top class criminals. Personal grudges are going to be set aside if you ever want to be a good ninja."

"For how long am I going to be on this mission?"

Lady Tsunade: "Until I say so!"

She's really angry. And I'm really annoyed. I'm supposed to spend I don't how much time with criminals. What's worse is that I won't be able to go out of the village. This just completely cuts off all hope of seeing Gaara for a while. Besides, if he learns about what happened, will he even want to see me again?

Just as I was getting ready to leave Lady Tsunade's office, Ibiki-sensei enters. Don't tell me…

"I start right away?"

Ibiki-sensei: "Exactly. Follow me."

I don't think I have any choice in the matter.

On the way to where the prisoners are held, Ibiki-sensei explains to me what my functions are going to be.

Ibiki-sensei: "For this job, you'll always have to be available. We could be bringing in criminals at any time of the day. Your job is to lead them to the interrogation room and to make sure they're well restrained. It will also be part of your responsibility to catch them if they try to escape, but, as Lady Tsunade mentioned, you are not allowed to go out of the village. Therefore, if they ever manage to escape you and leave the village, it'll be out of your hands and a tracking team will catch them instead."

Well they're really making sure that I'll have something to do. Lady Tsunade probably doesn't want me out of their sight. She doesn't trust me anymore.

When we get to the prison, one of the ninja who work there shows me around. I memorize where everything is in case of emergencies. I go to the Ibiki-sensei's office where he has all the prisoners' files and lists of wanted criminals. Some other documents are filled with the process and results of different interrogations. One advantage of this mission is that I have access to pretty confidential information. Problem is that I don't know how that will benefit me in any way. It may even just put my life in danger if someone is trying to get their hands on what these files contain.

A few days pass and the mission goes on without much happening. Most prisoners are just low level ninja who attack travelling merchants. The more dangerous ones are rogue ninja who tried to steal information from Konoha. Ibiki-sensei doesn't use any physical torture to get answers out of them. Instead, he uses psychological torture, which is way more effective, but leaves more lasting scars. I was spared from attending these interrogation sessions. Ibiki-sensei said it's better for him to concentrate without anyone in the room but him and the prisoner. I'm not complaining… I'd much rather be away from whatever he's doing during the interrogation.


	43. Under Attack

Ibiki-sensei: "That's it for today, Akia. You can go home for now. I'll call for you when I need you."

Just like that, another day goes by. From dawn to late nights, I escort criminals to the interrogation room and from the interrogation room to their cells. At least Ibiki-sensei is nice enough to let me have a night's sleep everyday… It just bothers me, because I feel like I don't have any more contact with people other than those who work with Ibiki-sensei and the criminals there. I'm not keeping up at all with what's happening in the village… more like I can't keep up. I wonder how Naruto's doing. He should've been back from his mission. Maybe he went on another one.

It's so late at night that there is barely anyone on the streets. I walk around a little. There's someone sitting on a pretty isolated bench. I wonder who… Naruto? So he is back! Why is he sitting alone over there? Usually at this time he'd be sleeping in his apartment. I should go and see what's up.

As I get closer, I notice that he doesn't seem like the usual Naruto… He's… crying? Naruto? Crying? What happened? Last time he cried was when we thought that Gaara was dead… I want to try and comfort him but I don't even know what happened… I get closer to him.

"Naruto…"

Naruto doesn't even look up.

"Did something happen?"

Naruto: "Please…"

His voice sounds all shaken. Something really bad must've happened…

Naruto: "Akia… please… leave me alone for a bit…"

"But…"

Naruto: "Just go…"

I won't be getting any answers from him anytime soon… I should just let him have some time alone. He probably needs to organize his thoughts about something hard that's happened. I start taking my leave.

Naruto: "Wait…"

I turn around and look at him. Tears keep flowing out of his puffed up eyes. He's been crying for a while. I go and sit next to him. He cries in silence while I stay next to him, supporting him without a word. I don't want to force any answers out of him. He'll tell me whenever he's ready to.

Naruto: "Thanks… for staying with me…"

"What are friends for…"

Iruka-sensei appears and approaches us.

Iruka-sensei: "Akia, you're here too…"

"I am."

Iruka-sensei: "I would like to talk to Naruto alone, you see…"

"Oh yes I totally understand. I'll be on my way."

I put my hand on Naruto's shoulder to show him my support and take my leave. I stay close enough to hear whatever is happening between them.

Iruka-sensei is trying to cheer Naruto up. I can't hear everything they're saying. From what I got, Jiraiya went after Pain, the Akatsuki's leader. And… died… That's why Naruto was so depressed… Jiraiya was his mentor. He was his sensei and they were both very close to each other… I should get back home before they notice that I was eavesdropping.

A few days later, I learn about how Naruto decided to go to Mount Myoboku to get stronger. It's like when I went to the Ryuuchi Cave. He'll probably learn the Sage Mode as well.

Ibiki-sensei: "Akia, stop spacing out. Bring this man back to his cell."

"Yes, sir."

I take the trembling man from the interrogation room. He looks really shaken, like most of them after a session with Ibiki-sensei. It makes it easier for me to take them to their cell. They don't try to resist at all. It's like they've lost any will to live. I lock the man up and go back to Ibiki-sensei.

A shinobi rushes in in a state of panic.

"The village is under attack! Under Lady Tsunade's order, any capable ninja are required to fight!"

Ibiki-sensei: "Under attack? By who?"

"The… The Leader of the Akatsuki!"

Pain? What's he doing here? Is he looking for Naruto?

The ground starts shaking. What was that? An explosion? The village is in serious danger. I've got to get out there.

Every staff of the prison rushes out to help protect the village. When I get out, the sight of the village's state leaves me horrified. How could one man cause so much destruction in such a short time? So many huge beasts are summoned in different places. I spot Lady Tsunade with her own summoning, Katsuyu. This is like a battle of giants.

I rush to where the battles are. On my way, I spot a girl wearing the Akatsuki cloak. She has orange hair and a lot of metal bars implanted in her face. Her eyes… Is that the Rinnengan? I've only read about it. I never thought I'd actually see it! She's an enemy. I have to stop her.

I intercept her.

"Where do you think you're going?"

She looks at me and start making hand signs. It's a summoning jutsu! She summons a huge bird. It has three legs and a giant beak. Out of all things, why a bird? Neiko, it's time for a snack.

"Summoning jutsu."

Neiko appears out of a wall of smoke.

Neiko: "You called?"

"Yeah… It looks like we're up against this hideous bird."

Neiko: "The village looks in a pretty bad state."

"The Akatsuki are attacking…"

The bird charges towards Neiko and grabs her neck.

"Neiko!"

Neiko tries to bite the bird which results in it letting go to dodge the deadly poison. I jump up to Neiko's head.

Neiko: "This one is tough… Listen, I have a new jutsu I want to try. You need to immobilize it first."

"How am I supposed to do that?"

Neiko: "You can immobilize people with your shadow snakes, try to do that with this thing."

It's too huge! Unless… I can use the Formation of Ten Thousand Snakes. Only problem is that it consumes too much chakra. I have no choice… I have to do it.

"Formation of Ten Thousand Snakes."

Thousands of snakes emerge from my mouth, which is extremely outstretched, like a snake's. They all go for the bird. They know their prey. There's no point in dodging, it's impossible. The bird tries to get away but it's soon swarmed by all the snakes that hold it down. Neiko then seizes her chance and unleashes her new jutsu.

Neiko: "Magma Style: Magma Wave Jutsu."

At the right timing, I let the bird go and call back the snakes. In an instant, the bird is consumed by the fire.

"Good job, Neiko…"

I'm feeling faint from using that snake jutsu… I feel my curse mark throbbing. It's giving me chakra? I thought it was supposed to take over my chakra. Did Orochimaru modify my curse mark? It's like an extra supplement of chakra. It matches my own perfectly. My strength is coming back at a fast pace.

"Let's go, Neiko. We still have a lot to do."

Just then, Lady Tsunade is pushed back towards us. Neiko stabilizes Katsuyu from the throw and I catch Lady Tsunade.

She gets back up and back on Katsuyu.

Lady Tsunade: "Akia! Go to the Sand Village and get help! We'll need people to help us take care of all the damages as fast as possible!"

"What? But I can't just leave!"

Lady Tsunade: "Don't argue with me! Hurry up and leave! It already takes a long time to get there!"

She's right… It takes three days at a normal pace! How can I ever make it in time?

"Neiko, you stay here and try to protect the village as much as you can. I'll be on my way to the Sand Village."

Neiko: "You better hurry."

"I will."

I have to fully rely on the curse mark and the Shinju to be able to get to the Sand village fast enough. I could make it in less than a day if I push myself hard enough. I just hope Konoha will be alright. The fight will probably be over by the time the Sand village ninja arrive. But, at least, they'll be able to take care of the damages right after the fight. I'm sure Gaara will try to help as much as he can.


	44. Help from the Sand

I have to hurry! I get to the village gates and rush into the forest. The curse mark is providing me chakra, which is really helpful right now. I'm way faster. I know that later, I won't have any energy left… Let's just hope I can make it before that happens.

A few hours go by and I finally reach the desert. Under normal circumstances, this would take more than a day. I might be way faster, but it isn't without consequences… I feel a huge burden on my body. This excess use of chakra increases my speed dramatically, but the strain it puts is starting to be very painful.

I can't give up now. Even if it kills me, I'll get to the Sand village as fast as possible and get their help.

The more time I take, the worse Konoha will get.

I'm feeling faint…

My breath is getting heavier and heavier…

My throat is burning.

Sweat is running down my whole body.

My heart feels like it's going to burst anytime.

I can finally see the village. I'm almost there. I have to hang in there!

I finally reach the Sand village. There, a few ninja stop me.

"A Leaf ninja? State your purpose."

With heavy breathing and a panicked voice, I start telling them what I need to say.

"Konoha… is under… attack! We… need your… help! Please!"

"Under attack? Hurry and contact the Kazekage."

"Thank… you…"

I did it… Gaara will surely help now…

My vision is getting blurry… I can't…

I open my eyes and find myself staring at a ceiling. Where am I? My body feels so heavy… I try to move, but every small move I do sends waves of excruciating pain throughout my whole body. My left hand feels strangely warm. I try to move it, but the same piercing pain makes me gasp.

"Don't move, Akia. Everything is going to be alright."

Who…? I know this voice…

"G… Gaara…"

Gaara: "It's me, Akia. Just rest. You used up almost all of your chakra."

Is it his hand that's making me feel so warm? Is he holding my own hand in his? I feel his thumb caressing the back of my hand.

Just as I was starting to feel relieved, I remembered how bad the situation Konoha was in when I left.

"Konoha… What happened?"

Gaara: "I sent some shinobi to help out as soon as I got your message. They sent me a report from there telling me how bad the situation in Konohagakure is."

Why isn't he continuing? Was it that bad?

"Gaara… Tell me how bad it was."

Gaara: "…There's… barely anything left. There's also a lot of… casualties. But, everyone is working as hard as they can to take care of the situation."

Barely anything left? I need to be there… I promised The Third that I'd be of help to the village. I can't just lie here, letting other people take care of things!

I have to try to get up. I can't lie down here forever.

"Aah!"

I barely even moved and it's still so painful…

Gaara: "Akia! Don't do this to yourself!"

"I can't just… leave my village like that."

Gaara: "Trust me, I made sure they got all the help they need. You won't be of much help anyway if you don't stay still and recover."

"How long have I been out of it?"

Gaara: "Three days."

Three whole days?

Gaara: "Don't beat yourself up about it. You did everything you could. It's almost impossible for anyone to travel only one day from Konohagakure to Sunagakure. Please, Akia… Just rest and leave everything to me."

He caresses my head with his free hand, while the other holds my hand softly, to not put more strain on my body. How I missed his touch… I always feel so safe with him, like nothing can ever hurt us. His eyes are full of kindness and… maybe… love. Under his soft warm hands, I fall asleep once more.

A day passes and I'm able to move again, even though it's still very limited movements. I can't run, jump or do any sudden moves. Gaara let me stay in the room I stayed in on my last visit. It brings back a lot of memories.

He tries to take care of me as much as he can, but he's really packed with work. It's tough being the Kazekage. I wonder how Lady Tsunade is doing…

It's night out and Gaara is not done with his paperwork yet… It's pretty unusual for him to be so late, even when he has a ton of things to do. I wonder what's keeping him. I think I should go and check on him.

I arrive in front of his office and hear different voices in there. It seems like he's in a very deep and serious conversation with someone.


	45. First Conflict

I hear Gaara's voice from behind the door. He's talking to a man.

Gaara: "Who will replace the Hokage for the time being?"

Replace the Hokage? Why? What happened to Lady Tsunade?

"They've been discussing about putting Danzo in charge for the time being."

Danzo? Isn't he the one who always opposed the Third's ideals and decisions? Why put him in charge?

Gaara: "Will the Fifth Hokage be alright?"

"I don't know. When I left, she was still in a state of coma."

No way… Lady Tsunade is in a coma… The situation in Konoha must be really hard right now. I want to go back. I need to know what happened there.

I turn around in a sudden move to prepare to leave, but I feel an extreme pain and can't stop myself from falling on the floor.

"Aaah!"

I still am not fully recovered… How can I even go back to Konoha in this state?

"Akia!"

While I'm trying to get up, I didn't notice that Gaara was coming out of his office in a hurry after hearing me scream. He carries me in his arms and brings me in his office. He puts me down on his chair.

Gaara: "What are you doing here, Akia?"

"I wanted to check up on you…"

"I'll take my leave then, Gaara-sama. We'll continue our discussion later."

Gaara: "Thank you. I'll ask for your presence once more as soon as I can."

The sand shinobi leaves us both alone.

Gaara: "What did you hear from what we said?"

"…Lady Tsunade… How is she?"

Gaara sighs deeply.

Gaara: "Out of all things… You don't need to have more worries. Just focus on getting better."

"Just tell me what happened!"

Gaara: "What good will that do?"

"I'm not a defenseless kid that needs your constant protection! Konoha is my village and I will do everything I can to help."

Gaara: "You can't do anything to help this situation! If there was anything that could be done, someone else would've already done it!"

I clench my fists and bite my lower lip. Tears start to well up in my eyes. I feel so frustrated… Not against Gaara, but against his perfectly logical answer. Deep down I know that I won't be of much help to Konoha, but… To hear it out loud is totally different. It makes me realize it even more. It makes me realize how powerless I am.

Gaara turns his back to me and then there's a long moment of silence. He finally ends up sighing again.

Gaara: "We should get back."

We both walk back silently to his place. We each reach our respective room without even saying goodnight to each other. Is that what people can count as a fight? I don't like it… It makes me feel things that I don't want to feel. I feel apologetic, angry… I even feel a little sadness creeping in.

Feelings are a weakness for shinobi… I've always known this as a theory. Now I'm actually experiencing it. It is a weakness… But now I can't imagine a life where I never met Gaara…

The sun is rising… I didn't get any sleep; I had too much on my mind. I change into my daily clothes. I should go check on Gaara…

Just as I was getting ready to get out of my room, the door slides open to reveal an expressionless Gaara standing there. He might be expressionless, but I see the tiredness in his eyes. He probably didn't sleep much last night either.

"Gaara…"

Gaara: "Are you feeling better today?"

"I think so."

It's kind of hard to tell if I'm feeling weak because of the aftereffects of the overuse of chakra or if it's because I didn't sleep last night.

There's another moment of silence. I should apologize about how I overreacted yesterday… I probably made him even more stressed about things by being like that.

"Gaara… I'm sorry about how I acted yesterday… I should've been more logical about things."

I look at him and I find a small smile on his face. He looks relieved.

Gaara: "I'm glad that you're not mad at me."

Mad at him? I thought he'd be the one who'd be angry at me. I sigh in relief.

Gaara: "Let's go out for breakfast."

"Is that what people call a date?"

Gaara: "I don't know. I never experienced anything related to that before."

"Me neither…"

Going out to eat with Gaara.

Temari: "That's exactly what a date is."

Temari pops out of nowhere with a grin on her face.

"Were you eavesdropping?"

Temari: "I couldn't help but see what you two were up to."

Kankuro: "Did I miss anything?"

Kankuro pops up next to Temari. Were they both listening in on our conversation just now?

Temari: "Not much. Just that these two are going to go out to eat while we're stuck here with the leftovers."

Kankuro: "A date, huh?"

Gaara takes my hand and drags me out.

Gaara: "Let's go, Akia."

I look up at him. Is he blushing? I feel myself blushing too… This is going to be my first date… if that's what it really is.


	46. Jealousy

Gaara brings me to a dumpling place. It's much like the dango place in Konoha that Anko-sensei loves to go to. Speaking of Anko-sensei, she was on a mission when Konoha was attacked. I wonder if she's back.

Gaara: "Something on your mind?"

"No, no… Just the usual."

Gaara: "Don't worry. Whatever it is, I'm sure it'll work out."

He's probably talking about what happened to Konoha and Lady Tsunade. I really do wish everything will be alright.

"Thank you, Gaara… For everything. I don't know what I could've done without you."

He takes my hand in his and smiles at me. He looks so gorgeous when he smiles… I can't help but smile back.

"Gaara-sama!"

Gaara lets go of my hand. Who said that?

Gaara: "Matsuri?"

Matsuri? Oh yeah! That girl that was Gaara's student a while ago. As soon as she spotted Gaara, she came here running…

Matsuri: "Gaara-sama! I never thought I'd find you here! With…"

"Akia. I'm Akia."

I don't know why, but I'm getting some annoying vibes from her. It's like… I feel that she could take Gaara away from me. Is this what they call jealousy?

She sits next to him and hugs his arm. It's making me angry. How dare she touch Gaara like that?

Gaara: "…Matsuri…"

Why isn't he doing anything about this? All he's doing is tugging his arm gently. That won't give her the hint to let go.

Matsuri: "It's been so long, Gaara-sama! You're so busy with paperwork that I barely see you these days…"

Did they frequent each other regularly? Of course… He was her sensei after all.

Gaara: "Matsuri… You're a little too close…"

Matsuri: "Oh, don't be shy Gaara-sama! We're too close for that."

What does she mean by close? I would never do what she's doing. And I'm close to Gaara… at least I think I am. Does that mean she's closer to him than I am? That's it! I can't take this anymore. If I stay here any longer, she's going to become snake food! I get up and head for the exit.

"I guess I'll go then. You two take your time catching up."

Gaara: "No, wait! Akia!"

Matsuri: "So it's just you and me now, Gaara-sama!"

I hurry back to the mansion to get away from the whole scene. I don't know how to react to that. I know that if I lost my temper, someone would get hurt. I don't even know what I felt back there. I just wanted to get away.

I find Kankuro and Temari eating the leftovers. I sit and join them.

They both give me weird looks.

Temari: "What happened? I thought you were going to eat with Gaara."

Kankuro: "Did he mess up?"

"No it's not that…"

Temari: "Then what happened? Something happened for sure if you're back here alone and so quickly."

I should probably tell them so that I could figure out what exactly is this unpleasant feeling. Is it really jealousy?

"Matsuri kind of barged in."

Temari: "I swear… That girl doesn't know when to give up."

Kankuro: "Wait… Do I spot jealousy?"

"Is that jealousy?"

Kankuro: "Probably. You were angry she was getting all touchy feely with Gaara, weren't you? Because that's probably what she did knowing her…"

"She did. I wanted to cut her up and give her to my pets."

Temari: "By pets… you mean snakes?"

"What else… You said that she doesn't know when to give up. Does that mean she was like that before too?"

Temari: "Yeah. She has this thing for Gaara. Well… most girls in Sunagakure do. But she's more attached to him, considering she was his student. She thinks that she can someday get him to return her feelings. He never did. He has someone else on his mind."

She smirks at me. A small smile forms on my face. I think I know who that someone is…

Just then, Gaara comes rushing in. We all look at him in surprise. He looks like he's come here running.

I get up and go towards him.

Gaara: "Akia… I…"

I hug him and burry my face in his chest. It feels so warm… My heart is beating so fast, I feel like it's about to explode. He wraps his arms around me and I hear Temari and Kankuro leaving the room to give us some time to ourselves.

Gaara: "I'm sorry for what happened…"

"Don't apologize. I overreacted. I got… jealous."

Gaara puts his hands on my shoulders, pushes me back a little, and looks at my face. His eyebrows are raised.

Gaara: "Jealous? Of Matsuri?"

I look down. Then, I feel something on my forehead. I look up and find Gaara's eyes right in front of mine. His forehead is touching mine. He's so close I can feel his breath on my face.

Gaara: "You have nothing to be jealous of… Nobody in the whole world holds the same place in my heart that you do."

He leans in and I feel his warm lips on mine. My first kiss… My whole body is burning up. His puts arm around my waist and another on the back of my head. I put my arms on his chest. We slowly start moving our lips in small kissing motions. After a bit, we both pull back and look at each other. Both our face are red and our eyes full of passion. I realize now that I really… truly love Gaara. He's the most important person in the world to me.


	47. Fully Recovered

The next day, I finally feel that I've recovered completely. I can now move around with the same agility as before. It feels great to be able to move around freely, but… it means that I'll have to leave Sunagakure soon. Which means that I won't know when will be the next time I'll see Gaara. I should go see him at his office. I'll need to tell him that I'll have to leave soon.

I reach his office and knock on his door.

Gaara: "Come in."

I open the door and go in. Gaara smiles brightly when he sees me. I really hate having to tell him that I have to leave…

Gaara: "Akia. I was just thinking about you."

"You were?"

He was? That just made my day.

Gaara: "It's probably because I've only been thinking about you for the whole day."

He gets up and gives me a warm hug. He lets go after a bit.

Gaara: "You wanted something?"

Here comes the sad part… I have to tell him. I can't just keep living here forever…

"Actually… Well, you see… I've fully recovered so…"

His smile starts to fade a little. I'm already hating telling him this…

Gaara: "I know what you want to say, but you can't leave."

"Wait, what?"

I appreciate that he wants me to stay but this sounded more like an order than a wish…

Gaara: "Don't worry, I'll explain."

He better. The way he said it got me confused.

Gaara: "A few days ago, the Eight Tails' Jinchuriki was attacked by… Sasuke."

"Sasuke? Why would he do that?"

Gaara: "According to some reports, Sasuke has joined the Akatsuki."

"What? Why would he? Itachi's part of that group!"

Gaara: "Was… Sasuke killed Itachi."

So… he carried out his revenge? Why is he suddenly joining the Akatsuki, though?

Gaara: "As a result to the attack on the Eight Tails' Jinchuriki, the Fourth Raikage has summoned the Five Kage to the Land of Iron. Of course, I must go. However, I will need two bodyguards."

"Temari and Kankuro, right?"

Gaara: "That would normally be the case, but Kankuro went on a mission right before I was informed of the meeting. Therefore, since you're all recovered, I want you to be my second bodyguard."

"Me? But… I'm not a Sand shinobi."

Gaara: "What does it matter? As long as I trust you, which I do with all my heart, you're qualified to be my bodyguard."

"Well it sure beats being that brat Hotaka's bodyguard…"

Gaara: "Who's Hotaka?"

Ah! I can't believe I just said that out loud!

"Oh nothing… It's just the Fire Daimyo's son… I had to be his bodyguard for a year."

Gaara: "So… Being my bodyguard is better?"

"Of course! There shouldn't even be any comparison!"

Gaara: "Heh. How bad was he?"

"…I don't even want to remember…"

I can't tell him about how that prick was a big pervert who wanted to marry me!

Gaara: "Tell me. I'm getting curious."

Guess I have no choice… I can't resist him when he asks me to do or say something.

After I tell him how the mission went and how I barely escaped being the Fire Daimyo's daughter-in-law, Gaara looked a little annoyed.

Gaara: "That little…"

Is he jealous? He's frowning a little. I have to say he looks cute acting like that…

Gaara: "You should've contacted me right away, I would've gotten you out of there."

"You know shinobi can't get involved in other Lands' business…"

Gaara: "I would've gotten myself involved somehow."

"Well enough about that little incident… I know I won't be seeing Hotaka in a while anyway."

Gaara: "You won't be seeing him ever again I'll make sure of that. I'll keep you busy enough so you won't be assigned to him."

He's such a sweetheart. Every day I fall more and more in love with him.

I spent the day at his office, helping him out with small things. He seemed happy to have me there. Sometimes, however, I'd hear muttering things about Hotaka.

Gaara: "That little prick… Marriage?… Is he crazy?… Like I would've ever let him…"

I couldn't help but smile at his little remarks.

After a bit, he decides to leave the office early.

Gaara: "We need to get ready for the long journey to the Land of Iron."

"You're right. It's going to be cold there, we better be prepared."

It'll be a total contrast of Sunagakure. I hope Gaara will be able to cope with the cold. I know I'll be okay, since I've lived in cold places before, when I was young.

Gaara: "I'm a little worried about how to handle the cold there…"

"You'll be okay. If it gets really bad, I can try to warm you up with some fire jutsu."

Gaara: "…All I would need is a hug."

"Now how could I have not thought of that?"

He smiles at me comes behind me to give me a back-hug. He kisses my neck softly. I put my hands on his hands that are wrapped around my waist and close my eyes. He then gives me a peck on the cheek and hugs me tightly before letting go. It's over already…?

Gaara: "Let's go, we have to get ready."

He's right, but I kind of feel disappointed that we don't spend much alone time together. I guess that's what happens when the guy you love is the Kazekage.


	48. Unexpected Attack

The next morning, we all wake up extremely early, even before sunrise. The first thing I see when I open my eyes is a bare manly chest. I remember now… I fell asleep in Gaara's arms.

Gaara hugs me tightly.

Gaara: "Good morning."

"I can't breathe!"

Gaara chuckles and pulls away.

"Good morning."

Gaara: "Ready to go?"

"I just need to fully wake up."

Gaara gives me a peck on my lips.

Gaara: "Did that wake you up?"

I start blushing and look away.

"No… You need to give me some more…"

Did I just actually say that? Am I out of my mind? Is it because I'm still half asleep? That's probably it…

Gaara: "Heh. You've become quite bold about these things."

We're both still lying next to each other when suddenly he goes on top of me with his arms on each side of my head, supporting his weight, giving some distance between us. He looks into my eyes and his face starts getting closer.

Then I hear the door of our room opening. Gaara and I both look at where the sound came from.

Temari: "Hey, I get that you two feel all lovey-dovey in the morning, but we have to start moving if we want to get to where the Five Kage Summit is being held before they begin."

Gaara sighs and gets up. Well if it's not Kankuro interrupting us, it's Temari… Oh well, I should get up and get ready.

The distance between Sunagakure and the Land of Iron is about twice as big as the one between Sunagakure and Konohagakure. It will take us around six days to make it there. We'll be right on time for the meeting.

We set off into the desert.

Temari: "This is going to be one long trip."

"At least we know that we'll make it on time."

Temari nods.

Temari: "If there aren't any interferences, we'll make it there around a day early."

Gaara: "Come on. Let's go."

Gaara is probably nervous about his first meeting with the other Kages. I'm sure he'll do wonderfully well.

After two days of travelling, we decide to finally take a break.

Temari: "I'm exhausted."

"Now that you mention it, I'm starting to feel tired too."

Gaara: "Let's find a good place to rest."

"All I see is sand…"

Gaara: "There are parts that are less at risk of sandstorms. Also we have to avoid any place close to quicksand."

Gaara finally picks a spot that looks the same as everything else to me. However, he's the sand specialist, not me. I trust him on this one.

Temari: "Looks like we'll have to sleep without anything over our heads."

"I can make earth domes if you want. They provide good protection too."

Gaara: "That would be great."

Temari: "Make a big one for all three of us to fit. It's better if we all stick together."

She's right. Even though I wanted to have one alone with Gaara… This is not the time to be selfish about these things! I need to focus on the mission.

"Earth Style: Earth Dome."

A rather large dome of earth forms around all three of us and closes up.

Temari: "Impressive. Does this thing have a door?"

"Not really, but I could always make one."

Gaara: "That would be practical."

I try to manipulate the shape of the earth dome and manage to give in a small opening. Anyone who needs to go out will have to crawl out.

"That's the best that I can do…"

Temari: "Well it's better than nothing."

Gaara: "We should all get some sleep. The journey ahead is still long."

We all settle down and find a comfortable position to sleep in. I start slowly dozing off, looking at Gaara sitting beside me.

It's cold… Why did it get so cold all of a sudden?

I open my eyes and find Gaara and Temari sound asleep. They don't feel this cold? Is it just me? Now that I'm fully awake, I notice that my body is perfectly warm… What is this cold feeling then?

"Behind you…"

I feel a tongue on the side of my neck. Who is this? I turn around and…

"Kabuto!"

I get away from his as fast as I can.

Kabuto: "Who else…"

He's… he looks different… He looks more like Orochimaru… The white skin, the eyes…

"What are you doing here?"

Kabuto: "I'm here to take what Orochimaru gave you."

Is it Orochimaru's chakra he's after? The one that was given to me through the curse mark? I look at Gaara at Temari. Now that I look more closely, they're not in a normal sleeping state… They're under a genjutsu!

"I won't let you…"

Kabuto: "It's not like I'm leaving you any choice."

He dashes at me. I block his attack, but his blow sends us both out of the earth dome. I need to undo the genjutsu on Gaara and Temari… It's my top priority right now.

I try to go back to the dome but Kabuto blocks my way with… a white snake! It's like it's part of him! It's coming out from under his robe. Is he even human anymore?

Kabuto: "Your feelings make you so predictable. The only thing going through your head is how you'll be able to save those two sand ninja. You'll never stand a chance against me."

He's right… I'm not thinking rationally… I just want Gaara and Temari to be safe! Is that a weakness?

Kabuto's chakra is barely noticeable. It's… natural energy. Is he in Sage Mode? I won't be able to defeat him in my current state. I need to activate Sage Mode too. But before that, I need have enough time to activate it.

"Summoning jutsu!"

Neiko appears from a wall of smoke.

Neiko: "Akia, it's been a while."

Kabuto: "A White Snake? You… You're more powerful than I thought. As expected from Lord Orochimaru's daughter."

"Neiko! Eat me!"

Neiko: "...I get what you want to do."

Neiko opens her mouth and takes me in it. Now he won't be able to touch me until I activate Sage Mode.


	49. Arrival

Neiko is filled with natural energy. It will be much faster to attain Sage Mode in her mouth. Kabuto can't touch me in here. Neiko is way too strong for him.

Neiko: "Akia! He's going after your earth dome!"

Just then I enter Sage Mode and rush out of Neiko's mouth. I won't let him get anywhere close to Gaara or Temari!

I get to him at an incredible speed and throw him as far away from them as I can. I then go in the earth dome and release the genjutsu that Gaara and Temari were under. I then go immediately out to find Kabuto right there, in front of me.

Kabuto: "So you released the genjutsu in the end."

"What are you really after…"

Kabuto: "Like I said, Lord Orochimaru's chakra within you. The more I gather his chakra, the stronger I'll become."

Did he absorb Orochimaru's chakra when he died? Is that why he looks so different, with the same eyes as Orochimaru? That sick bastard…

Gaara: "Akia!"

Temari: "What's going on here?"

Gaara! Temari! They finally fully regained consciousness!

Kabuto: "Damn it… I won't be as efficient against all three of you… Well then, Akia, it seems that you were spared, for now…"

Kabuto then vanishes from our sight. Now I know that he'll be targeting me in the future… I'll have to be careful. Is he going to target other people who have Orochimaru's chakra? If he is, then Anko-sensei is in danger.

Neiko: "Well, I guess you don't need me anymore for now. It was nice seeing Gaara again."

Neiko then vanishes as well. I release my Sage Mode and go back to normal.

Gaara: "Akia… Are you alright?"

My legs feel weak. I was so scared… I was so scared of losing Gaara again… If I was a second later, he would have…

"Gaara, Temari… I'm so sorry… This is all my fault… He was after me."

Temari: "Don't blame yourself for any of this. We all got out of it alive and well. That's what's important."

Gaara puts his left hand on my right shoulder.

Gaara: "I should've protected you…"

I turn around to face him.

"I'm your bodyguard. It's my mission to protect you."

Gaara: "This is not about the mission! This is about me wanting to protect someone precious."

"Gaara…"

I hug him and burry my face in his chest. I feel tears rolling down my cheeks. My voice is all shaky…

"I'm so glad you weren't hurt."

He runs his fingers through my long hair. I'm so glad he's alright. I don't want to put his life in danger…

Gaara: "And I'm glad you're with me."

Temari: "You two are sweet and all but shouldn't we get moving? Even though I'd rather rest some more, but we can't risk staying in the same place now that we know that someone is after Akia."

Gaara and I let go of each other.

"You're right. We should get going."

The rest of the journey ends without any other interferences. We make it to the Land of Iron a little ahead of schedule so we decide to go find a place to rest.

Gaara: "This place is freezing cold."

Temari: "You said it… Let's hurry and find an inn or something."

Gaara: "Akia, you're not cold?"

"Not really. I actually like this weather."

The snow reminds me of when I first met Haku… It was snowing just like now. He was sitting on the cold floor, alone and crying.

Temari: "Did you live in a cold place before?"

"I have. It was for a short while, though. My family never really stayed in the same place more than a few months…"

Temari: "You must've been to a lot of places."

"I think we actually went to Sunagakure when I was three. I don't remember much though. Besides, it was always forbidden for me to leave the hideouts."

Talking about my past like this is bringing back a lot of memories… And they're not all that nice… Kabuto appearing again out of nowhere a few days ago is not helping either. I've always felt a bad vibe from this guy. Since the moment I first saw him helping Orochimaru making me take all these medical tests. I can't believe that sick bastard saw me naked when I was younger… The worst is our age difference is not that big… He's just seven years older than me. I still feel his cold slimy tongue on my neck from a few days ago…

Temari: "There was a hideout of Orochimaru's in Sunagakure?"

Gaara: "Temari, let's stop talking about this."

Did Gaara notice? He probably did… He's sharp with these things. Or maybe it's just with me that he is.

We find an inn and rent a room for the night. The meeting is tomorrow. We should get all the rest we can.


	50. Awakening

Gaara and Temari fall asleep. I'm starting to feel sleepy too… I finally end up closing my eyes and letting go…

Wind…?

Did we leave the windows open…?

I'm pretty sure they were closed…

I should check what's happening…

I open my eyes and realize that the windows were indeed open. I chase off all the sleepiness and get up to close them. As I get closer to them, I find a paper pinned to the window frame with a kunai. The windows were opened from the outside… Someone is messing with us…

I take the paper and when I open it, white snake scales fall out. I know who put this letter here… It's Kabuto… He's still following me.

I open the letter and start reading the content.

Come out alone by dawn. Get as far away from everyone as possible. If you don't, let's say the Five Kage Summit will not go as smoothly as you wish. Don't tell anyone.

Now that's a new low. He's threatening me? The Five Kage Summit is Gaara's first… I can't let anything happen to disrupt it… I guess I really don't have a choice. How am I going to tell Gaara…? I can't just disappear like that, he'll get suspicious. I'll write him a letter telling him that there was an emergency at Konoha. I don't want him to be worried during tomorrow's meeting. I'll tell him everything after everything is sorted out. I'll make sure I get rid of Kabuto once and for all.

After writing the letter, I look at Gaara's sleeping face for a bit.

I'm so sorry Gaara… I wish I could be with you… But I have no choice…

I get up and jump out the window. I head for the town's exit. I go as fast I can. The earlier I get there, the faster I'll take care of things. This is considered part of my mission to protect Gaara. I'll do anything to keep him safe.

I go into the snowy forest and keep going. Kabuto will stop me when he feels that I'm far enough.

I've going for about an hour. I know I'm going right into a trap. What choice did I have?

Kabuto: "I guess you can stop running now."

I turn around and find Kabuto right behind me. When did he get there? How did I not even notice him following me?

Before I could do anything, the white snake that seems to be a part of him wraps around me and bites my shoulder.

"Don't you know that I'm immune to snake…"

What… is this? I… can't move…!

Kabuto: "I'm the one who experimented on you with Lord Orochimaru. I know what you're immune to and what your weaknesses are. I developed an especially powerful paralysis poison that affects even you. Now… You'll start to lose your consciousness soon…"

My vision is blurring… This poison is too strong… I can't… get away… Gaara… I'm sorry…

I wake up to an indescribable pain. I feel like my whole body is burning! What's happening to me? Where am I?

Kabuto: "So you're awake."

"Kabuto! What are you doing?"

Kabuto: "Extracting Lord Orochimaru's chakra. Don't worry, the pain will make you faint soon."

"Let me go!"

Kabuto: "Not a chance…"

My curse mark! It's burning so much! It's so painful that I can't even scream…!

My whole body… It's like he's sucking the life force out of me!

Is this really the end…?

It can't be…

Gaara… We just recently realized our feelings for each other…

This can't be happening…

I feel tears welling up in my eyes.

Kabuto: "A ninja crying? I never would've thought that could ever happen to you of all people."

Kabuto lets out a small laugh.

I hate him… Hate him for taking me away from Gaara… Hate him for making me go through this… Hate him for treating me like this… I hate him… I hate him… Hate… Hate…

I feel something moving in my stomach. Something extremely powerful. I start seeing everything in red.

Kabuto: "What? But the Shinju shouldn't be able to be this powerful!"

A cloak of red chakra envelops me.

I don't remember much of what happened after. All I remember is hearing Kabuto say that Orochimaru must've inserted something in me without letting him know. I guess even Orochimaru didn't fully trust Kabuto. I also remember that Kabuto got away… Then…

I open my eyes and find myself in a forest. What happened…? I don't recognize this place…

Looking around, I start slowly remembering what happened. The Shinju woke up and Kabuto ran away. Then… I ran away from the hideout. My curse mark! I don't feel it anymore! Is it… gone? Kabuto took Orochimaru's power from within me… Is that what triggered the Shinju's awakening?


	51. Back in Konoha

Orochimaru… So my father actually wanted to keep me safe. He had a feeling all along that Kabuto would come after the power I possessed. After all these years I've spent hating him, I actually now think that he wasn't as bad as the impression he gave. Still… That doesn't mean that I'm not glad he's gone. It's for everyone's best that he's no longer alive.

For now, I need to figure out where I am… I've never been to these parts before. I don't even know what Land I'm in. I don't recognize the trees here. I'm probably pretty far from Konohagakure and Sunagakure. I don't know where to start looking… This forest looks like it goes on forever.

I wonder how Gaara handled the Five Kage Summit. He probably impressed them. I trust that he's a very capable Kazekage. I wish I was there… I wonder how he took it when he found out I left so suddenly. I hope he can forgive me.

I hear footsteps… It sounds like a squad of four ninja. I should hide and find out who they are. If they're from an allied nation, I might be able to ask them for help. Here's a little trick I learned from Orochimaru's scrolls. A technique where I can fuse with trees… Becoming invisible to the human eye while I can monitor everything from the tree. Normally, I'd need to be in Sage Mode, but since the Shinju's power is much more present now, it allows me to be more in synch with natural energy.

I hide in a tree and wait for the four ninjas to pass by. I hear them coming closer… Wait… I know that chakra!

"Search the area, Kabuto shouldn't be far from here according to the information we got."

It's Anko-sensei!

I get out of the tree.

Anko-sensei: "Who goes there… Akia!"

"Anko-sensei!"

I feel so relieved to see a familiar face…

Anko-sensei: "What are you doing here? Weren't you supposed to be with the Kazekage?"

"Kabuto led me into a trap and took Orochimaru's chakra from me…"

Anko-sensei: "What? Do you know where Kabuto is now?"

"No… All I know is that he was in a hideout near here and he ran away when the Shinju was partially awakened."

Anko-sensei: "The Shinju… Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, just that I have no clue where we are. Why are you after Kabuto, anyway?"

Anko-sensei: "It's our mission to track him down. And right now, we are in the Land of Grass."

She tells me how to get back to Konoha. It seems simple enough.

Anko-sensei: "You'll have to head back alone… I can't come with you. We still have to track down Kabuto. Be careful on your way back."

"Right."

I wonder how the village is doing… I wonder how Naruto and the others are doing… It feels like it's been forever since the last time I saw them.

When I reach the village, the state it was left in horrifies me. Constructions are being conducted everywhere. Everything was destroyed. How could it have been so bad? How could I have not been there earlier to help out?

As Gaara promised, Sand shinobi were also helping out with the repairs. Frankly, Konoha needs all the help it can get. I'll have to thank Gaara next time I see him. I'll also have to apologize for leaving so suddenly. It'll be a while before I see him though… The village needs me and I won't have any time for him. As much as I'll miss him, I have a duty to fulfill towards my village.

"Akia, you're back!"

"Hinata!"

Hinata comes towards me. I really appreciate how nice this girl is. We aren't exactly close, but she still treats me as a friend. I want us to get to know each other more, but when I'm not on a mission, she is, so there weren't many chances for us to talk.

Hinata: "So how was your stay at Sunagakure?"

"A lot of things happened… By the way, what exactly happened to the village?"

Hinata: "Well… Pein attacked the village and destroyed everything, but Naruto defeated him and saved all of us."

"So this was all Pein's doing… I should've stayed to fight more. I feel like I wasn't of much help."

Hinata: "What are you saying? Thanks to you, we've got extra help from the Sand shinobi. They did help us a lot."

"I'll have to thank Gaara about all his help…"

Hinata: "Speaking of the Kazekage, there were some Sand shinobi who arrived yesterday and they asked about you on the Kazekage's behalf. They said that you told the Kazekage that you had important business at Konoha and that you actually left a while ago. I got a little worried that something might've happened to you so I told them that you weren't back yet. Did something happen?"

"Actually… I didn't leave Gaara because of some business in Konoha…"

Hinata: "What? Then why?"

"Well…"

I told her how Kabuto threatened me and how I had no choice but to do what he wanted. I also told her how I fell right into his trap.

Hinata: "Oh my… Are you alright?"

"I'm fine now, thanks."

Hinata: "But… shouldn't you tell the Kazekage? I think he has the right to know…"

"You're right. I'll write him a letter to tell him all that's happened. I'll give it to one of the Sand shinobi."

After writing a letter explaining all that's happened and apologizing about leaving so suddenly, I hand it over to a Sand shinobi that was working on rebuilding my house and sent him off to Sunagakure. Gaara… I hope there'll be another chance to see each other in the future.


	52. Military Documents

A few days later, we got news that Danzo was killed by Sasuke. Apparently, Sasuke and some other rogue ninja that appeared to be with him attacked the Five Kage Summit. So many things happened that I was not aware of. Many of those that I'm still not aware of. I need to see Gaara and ask about what happened.

Naruto and his team are also back. They also ran into Sasuke and captured a certain kunoichi that was accompanying him.

Lady Tsunade finally woke up from her coma. I should go ask her if she could send me to Sunagakure. She went to meet the council and get updated on what happened in the Five Kage Summit. I'm sure it won't take her too long.

For the time being, I should focus on the repairs.

Lady Tsunade is finally back from her council meeting. I'll have to talk to her soon.

Naruto comes out of his apartment, which is almost completely restored.

Naruto: "Akki-chan, did you repair all this?"

"I am kind of in charge of this section because my house is here too."

Naruto: "That explains it. Thanks."

Naruto looks down… Is it because of his encounter with Sasuke?

"Naruto… What happened?"

Naruto: "You mean while I was away?"

"I was told you were on a mission…"

Naruto: "Well… Not exactly. I left mainly to ask the Raikage to not try to kill Sasuke… You know, after Sasuke attacked the Eight Tales' Jinchuriki."

"So… did he?"

Naruto: "He wouldn't listen…"

"I heard Sasuke… attacked the Five Kage Summit."

Naruto: "He did… Gaara told me. He also killed Danzo."

"He… what?"

That's unexpected… What does Sasuke have against Danzo? There's a lot of things I'm missing here…

Naruto: "And also… I want to be the one to fight Sasuke. I don't want you guys to interfere."

"I won't unless it's absolutely necessary…"

Naruto: "Even then… please don't."

"We'll see…"

Naruto: "Promise me."

"I can't promise that."

"Naruto!"

Naruto: "Yamato-sensei?"

Yamato-sensei: "Naruto, we're leaving on our mission, you should hurry up."

Naruto: "I'm coming."

I guess Naruto is being sent on another mission already.

Yamato-sensei: "Oh and Akia, Lady Tsunade is waiting for you at her office."

I guess it's about another mission.

I get to Lady Tsunade's office.

Lady Tsunade: "Akia, you're here."

"Yes, Lady Tsunade."

Lady Tsunade: "I see that your mission to get help from Sunagakure was a success. I knew I could count on you. Now I have extremely important news to tell you."

"Important news?"

Lady Tsunade: "Yes, I just got that information. That's why I sent Naruto away for the time being. He is not supposed to know of what I'm about to tell you."

"Am I the only one who will know?"

Lady Tsunade: "No, word of what I'm about to tell you will be announced to the whole village, but I need you on a mission concerning this."

"Oh, right."

Lady Tsunade: "As you know, there was the Five Kage Summit that was held when I was still in a coma. During that meeting, many decisions were made. I was informed of these decisions at the council. There is a great war on its way. Therefore, the five shinobi nations have formed an alliance to fight against the Akatsuki. Since the Akatsuki's goal is to get both tailed beasts from Naruto and the Eight Tales' Jinchuriki, both of them were sent away somewhere safe."

"But… Naruto will never agree to that. If he finds out, he'll do everything he can to come back."

Lady Tsunade: "That's why we can't let him find out. One of this war's motives is to protect Naruto and Killer B, the Eight Tales' Jinchuriki."

She's right about that. However, I doubt they'll be able to hide a war from Naruto for very long. It's a shinobi World War. He's sure to find out sooner or later.

Lady Tsunade: "Now for your mission…"

That's true… She called me here mainly to give me a mission. I wonder what it's going to be. Maybe something extremely dangerous… I just hope it won't be a waste of my time like the one where I had to stay with Ibiki-sensei and help him out in prison… I don't think she's still angry at me for what I did.

Lady Tsunade: "For the Fourth Shinobi World War, the Five nations are allied. Therefore, we need to send out our military information to the other nations. Since military information is very confidential, I chose four capable shinobi squads that will each deliver the documents to one of the other four nations. You will be put on the squad that will deliver the documents to Sunagakure, since you seem to be on pretty good terms with the Kazekage…"

"It's not…"

Right then, Kiba and Lee both come in.

Lady Tsunade: "So you're both finally back from your missions. Akia, here are the two shinobi you'll be teaming up with for this mission."

Kiba: "Great… Another mission right off the bat…"

Lee: "Excellent! What is our mission this time, Lady Tsunade?"

Lady Tsunade explains the mission for them and all three of us leave her office to get ready to leave. Out of all the shinobi to pair me up with it had to be two of the loudest ones after Naruto. Well it's not like I have a choice. Besides, it's better to have them with me than going all alone. I just have to keep up with their energy.


	53. Road to Sunagakure

Kiba: "Okay guys, meet up at the village gates in exactly an hour. I think that'll give us all enough time to pack and get ready."

Lee: "That sounds good."

"Got it."

I guess Kiba just naturally became some kind of leader. It doesn't bother me that much actually. He's pretty reliable when needed. I should go pack some food pills and basic essential stuff for the journey.

The hour is already over? I guess I should hurry to the gate if I don't want to be late.

I get to the gate and I see Lee is already there waiting.

Lee: "Akia! I see you are here!"

"You're pretty early."

Lee: "I packed as fast as I could."

"Always eager, aren't you…"

Lee: "As a ninja, I must always be ready."

"You're right about that."

Kiba: "Hey guys! Did you wait for too long?"

"I didn't, but I bet Lee did."

Lee: "Do not worry about me, you're both right on time."

Kiba: "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get going! Come on, Akamaru!"

Kiba and Akamaru lead the squad. With their nose, they'll be able to spot any potential enemies. It should take us about three days to reach Sunagakure, since we aren't exactly in any extreme rush.

Lee: "Now that I think of it, it is the second that we're on a mission together since Sasuke's retrieval mission."

"This one will be a success though."

Kiba: "This is a piece of cake compared to getting Sasuke back."

"He's the one who chose that path. I don't think we could've ever succeeded that mission anyway."

Lee: "Going to Orochimaru like that… What was he thinking?"

"Orochimaru has a way of persuading people…"

Kiba: "I guess you are the best one to know that, since he's…"

"I have no more connection to him."

Kiba: "Sorry… Didn't mean it that way."

"…It's alright."

I know I shouldn't have answered him so harshly. Kiba didn't deserve that. He'd never mean anything by what he said. He was just stating a fact. What I said was mainly directed to myself… I was more trying to convince myself that I have no more connections to Orochimaru than I was trying to tell Kiba that. Even though I want to cut all ties with Orochimaru, I can never erase the fact that he was my father and that I inherited many of his traits.

Kiba: "If you want my opinion, it doesn't matter who you're related to. You're a respectable and reliable person. I know I can trust you with my life and that's all that matters."

"…Thanks, Kiba."

Lee: "Kiba is right. You are who you are not what your father was. You chose who you want to be."

"I really appreciate the support…"

Hearing them telling me this makes me feel less guilty about my father's crimes.

Kiba: "The sun is setting. We should start looking for a place to rest. I hear your Earth Domes are perfect for spending the night in the open, Akia."

Lee: "How convenient! That is one useful technique!"

"We just need to find space for it."

Kiba: "We're all sharing the same one right?"

"I would make one for each one of us but that would waste too much chakra. And besides, if there's any emergency, it's better if we're all close to each other."

Lee: "Excellent! Spending the night together in a small space will surely strengthen our bond and teamwork!"

"…I guess."

I've never been with such a talkative squad… Wait, I take that back. Naruto was more noisy. But then again, it was only him. This time it's two people.

Kiba: "There, that looks like a good place to settle down for the night."

We stop next to a huge tree. According to my calculations, we should reach the desert sometime tomorrow.

"Earth Style: Earth Dome."

An earth dome forms around us. It's going to be more cramped than I thought. Akamaru is going to take up a lot of space…

"I tried to do it as big as I could but I guess that's the limit."

Kiba: "The smaller the better…"

"What do you mean?"

Kiba: "Ah… Well… It's… It's to not attract too much attention! That's right! Haha…"

"You're right about that."

Kiba's been acting a little weird… Maybe there's something on his mind. Well, it's really none of my business. I just want to get to Suna quickly… I really miss Gaara.

I try to sit as far away from the guys. I'm on the right with Kiba on left. Lee is sitting next to Kiba and Akamaru is lying down at our feet… Or more like on top of our feet. I bring my legs up to me to leave Akamaru more space.

Kiba is invading my personal space… I know it's not his fault that the dome is so small, but it's bothering me. Our shoulder are basically squished against each other. When it was the mission with Gaara, there was no giant dog and, honestly, I would never mind being pressed against Gaara. I guess I have no choice but to fall asleep like that…

I finally start dozing off when I feel something resting on my shoulder.


	54. Akamaru's Strange Behavior

I open my eyes to check what is pressing against my left shoulder. It's… Kiba? He's resting his head on my shoulder? He's probably really tired. I want to get away but that'll wake him up…

This is making me feel uncomfortable… He's starting to drool.

I nudge him a little.

"Kiba…"

Kiba: "Mmm…"

He shifts his position and… he puts his left arm around my waist! His face is now facing towards me. I can't move! And he's still sleeping… We've all had a long day so I know that he needs to rest. I guess I'll just let him have his sleep and I'll live with it. It's just that… he's the only guy, apart from Gaara, that got so close. On top of that, Kiba and I never really talked much. This position is really awkward to me… I barely know the guy! All I know about him is from the time we were both students at the academy. It's true that back then, he was one of the few people that didn't give me the silent treatment, even though he was pretty annoying towards Naruto. But we never went past anything but a good morning! It looks like I won't be able to get any sleep tonight…

It's finally morning! Like I predicted, I didn't get any sleep… Lee wakes up first and yawns.

Lee: "Well, good morning…! Did… I interrupt something?"

"No, Lee! I woke up and found Kiba like that!"

Kiba: "Huh… What?"

Kiba starts opening his eye.

Kiba: "Where am I… What am I… What am I doing?"

"You're asking me…"

Kiba gets away as fast as he can. He's blushing a lot.

Kiba: "I'm so sorry, Akia! I didn't mean to…"

"It's alright… What's done is done."

Since everyone is awake, I should undo the Earth Dome Jutsu. I focus and the earth dome disappears.

Kiba: "Well… I guess we should get going…? Akamaru! What are you doing?"

Akamaru is sticking to me like glue! He's the only animal apart from snakes who dared to do that… I wonder what's making him act this way. Before today, Akamaru never really did that.

"Is this normal, Kiba?"

Kiba: "Not really… I think it's because you smell like me from last night… Either that or…"

"Or what?"

Kiba: "He might've just grown fond of you…"

Lee: "Seems like Akamaru has the same taste as his master."

Lee grins and gives Kiba a thumbs up.

"What…?"

Kiba: "Shut up, Lee! Akamaru, let's go already!"

What was Lee trying to say? Is Kiba fond of me too? That'll make things a little complicated… I guess I'll just try to push him away next time he gets too close. The problem is… he still doesn't know that I only have eyes for Gaara. Then again, maybe I'm just exaggerating things by saying that Kiba is fond of me in a romantic way. Maybe he just likes me as a friend. That's probably it.

Lee: "We have finally reached the desert! I say we challenge ourselves to reaching the Sand village without resting!"

Kiba: "Sounds like a plan. You're on! This'll be a piece of cake!"

"Speak for yourselves…"

I didn't sleep last night, unlike them… All that because Kiba was making me feel uncomfortable.

Kiba: "Why, are you okay?"

"I couldn't sleep last night, because someone invaded my personal space…"

I glare at Kiba.

Kiba: "I… I didn't mean to!"

"Does it usually happen when you're sleeping next to someone?"

Kiba: "Only if that someone smells good… It's pretty rare…"

"What…?"

Lee: "Are you saying that Akia smells to your liking?"

Kiba: "Wait! That's not what I said!"

"It sure sounded like it."

Kiba: "Come on, guys! Stop picking on me!"

Lee: "In any case, we should still head to the Sand village without making any stops. This will be a great challenge! Especially for you, Akia!"

"Fine…"

Even though it's pretty unreasonable, I strangely am not totally against that idea. It just means that I'll get to see Gaara sooner. If we continue going at this pace, we'll reach Sunagakure tomorrow at dawn.

Kiba: "We're almost there!"

"Finally…"

Lee: "You are amazing, Akia! To be able to travel for all this time without any rest! I should've done the same! As my punishment, I will do 2000 one-handed push ups when I get back to Konoha."

"I'm not exactly proud of myself for going all this way without rest. I feel completely out of energy."

Kiba: "Do you want to ride Akamaru? We still have about two hours before we reach the Sand village."

"It's alright… Hey!"

Before I could react, Akamaru passes under me and I end up on his back.

Kiba: "I guess Akamaru is not leaving you much of a choice."

"Fine… Thanks, Akamaru."

It does feel much better to take a little breather. I won't be slowing them down like that either.


	55. Complicated Situation

Kiba: "…Wake up… Akia…"

I open my eyes and find myself on Akamaru's back. I look ahead and see Sunagakure getting closer.

Kiba: "Good, you're awake. I know you're tired, but I think it won't be such a good impression if you show up half-asleep on mission."

"Gaara wouldn't mind…"

Kiba: "Gaara? You mean the Kazekage?"

"Yes… The Kazekage…"

I forgot that nobody really called him Gaara anymore… Only those close to him still do.

Lee: "We are finally there."

Some Sand shinobi meet us at the village's entrance.

"Welcome, Leaf shinobi. The Kazekage is expecting you. Follow us to his office."

We follow the Sand shinobi who lead us to Gaara's office. It feels like it's been so long since the last time I've been there. My heart is beating so fast at the thought of seeing Gaara.

Kiba: "Akia, are you alright? I can hear your heart rate accelerating."

"It's nothing…"

Kiba and his superhuman senses… I feel like I have to always be on my guard around him.

One of the Sand Shinobi knocks on Gaara's door.

Gaara: "Come in."

Gaara… I wonder if he read my letter. I hope he understands that Kabuto didn't leave me any choice.

We all go in Gaara's office. He looks up from his papers. He remains expressionless.

Gaara: "We weren't expecting you until tonight."

Lee: "We challenged ourselves to getting here with only resting once! But Akia was even more amazing! She didn't rest at all!"

Gaara: "You must all be tired."

Kiba: "It's no big deal. Here are the military documents."

Kiba hands the documents to Gaara.

Gaara: "You are all welcome to stay and replenish your energy."

Lee: "Thank you for your hospitality, Lord Kazekage!"

Kiba, Lee, and I start heading out to go to our rooms.

Gaara: "Wait. Akia, I need to talk to you… alone."

"Sure…"

Kiba: "Why can't we stay with her?"

Gaara: "This is something between me and Akia."

Kiba: "What if I don't want to leave her alone with you?"

"Kiba, I'll catch up with you guys later."

Kiba: "But…"

"Just go!"

Kiba: "…Fine."

Kiba and Lee leave Gaara and I alone in his office. As soon as they leave, Gaara gets up.

"Gaara… I'm really sorry about leaving you in the Land of Iron…"

He comes towards me and hugs me tightly.

"Gaara…"

Gaara: "I'm just glad that you're safe. I was so worried."

He pulls back, but still holds me by my shoulders.

Gaara: "Did he hurt you? How did you get away?"

"He took Orochimaru's power out of me to use it to strengthen himself. When he did that, the Shinju's power went crazy so Kabuto ran away."

Gaara hugs me again, more tightly this time.

Gaara: "I'm so sorry. I should've been there for you. When I saw your letter, I was going to go look for you, but Temari stopped me. As the Kazekage, my presence at the Five Kage Summit was necessary. It was not my choice to make…"

"Gaara… You know that I would never blame you. I'm just glad to see you again."

Gaara pulls back and looks deeply into my eyes. His face slowly gets closer. I feel his warm breath on my lips. I start to close my eyes, waiting for his soft lips on mine…

It never comes! I open my eyes and see Gaara glaring at the direction of his office door. I turn my head and I see… Kiba!

"W… What are you doing here?"

Kiba is glaring at Gaara. Akamaru is growling. This isn't looking good…

Kiba: "Akia, you should stay with your squad."

Gaara: "She's not going anywhere. We haven't finished talking."

Kiba: "Is that what you call talking?"

Gaara: "What is it to you? I have the right to act that way with Akia."

Kiba: "Not on my watch you don't!"

"Guys, please. I'm tired enough as it is."

Gaara looks at me and his gaze softens almost instantly.

Gaara: "I'm sorry. I'll bring you to your room, Akia."

Kiba: "I'm coming with you."

Gaara glares at Kiba again, but he manages to take a deep breath and takes my hand. He leads me to my room. It's the same room I always stay in when I come to Suna; the one right next to Gaara's room.

Kiba: "Why is Akia's room so far from ours?"

Gaara: "That's none of your business."

Kiba: "It is my business! She's my teammate!"

"It's the room I always stay in! Now, please, both of you, let me rest."

Gaara: "…me too?"

Kiba: "She said both of us. She didn't sleep for almost three days."

I go in the room and close the door, leaving the two guys outside. Usually, I'd let Gaara in, but, in this situation, it'll only cause more problems. I really need some peace and quiet if I want to be able to get any sleep. Besides, Gaara is always welcome to come in whenever he wants and he knows that.


	56. The Shinju

Where am I? It's so dark… There's a huge amount of chakra in this place. I take a step forward. This floor… It's… wood? My eyes start to adjust to the darkness. A loud shriek resonates in my ears. What was that? It didn't sound human. I walk towards the direction where the cry came from. As I get closer, the shrieks become more frequent. A blinding light emerges, forcing me to cover my eyes. When I finally open them, I find myself on a battlefield. The shrieks are uncontrollable. They are mixed with cries of fear and pain. I look around me and see shinobi from all villages lying dead in the floor. What could have done this? I look up and, far in front of me, is a giant… no… titanic creature! It's brown body looks like it is made of wood. Its face only contains one giant eye that resembles the Rinnengan. It has tails… A quick count and I realize that it has ten tails. Ten… The Shinju? This is the Shinju! Its mouth is filled with thousands of sharp looking teeth. This is its real form… This is far stronger than what I have inside of me. I can't possibly stand up against this monster! I'm frozen with fear. I can't move! The Shinju inside of me starts to react. It churns within me and tries to take over. The pain! It's unbearable! I open my mouth to let out a silent cry. It's so painful that I can't even scream! My hands start getting covered in wood. No… Someone… Please… Help me! I black out. When I open my eyes, I'm in the previous dark place, lying down on its wooden floor. A deep almost inhuman voice addresses me.

"You… Your seal over me is weakening."

I look up and find the Shinju's gigantic eye staring at me. I get up immediately, stricken by an indescribable fear. I'm shaking uncontrollably! I need to calm down! I start taking deep shaken breaths. I finally manage to somewhat stabilize my trembling.

"You're… the Shinju…"

"Only a fraction of me… This is far from how powerful I truly am. Soon, I will revive. Soon, I will take over."

"I… I won't let you!"

"A pathetic little human like you doesn't stand a chance."

The Shinju shrieks and his scream sends me flying. My head hits the ground hard and I black out.

Something… Stroking my hair… So… It was all a dream… My trembling starts to slowly decrease. A hand…? It feels so gentle… Gaara…? The hand is caressing my face now… My whole body shivers slightly at the unexpected touch. My breath becomes less panicked. I want to open my eyes… I'm just so tired, my eyelids are so heavy… I feel like all my energy has been sucked out from my encounter with the Shinju. My whole body aches. Something soft and warm comes in contact with my forehead. A kiss? These lips… They're different… It doesn't feel like Gaara's… They're slightly rougher than Gaara's. Who…?

I start opening my eyes slowly and, at the same time, hear my room's door open. There's a momentary silence as I finally open my eyes and find… Kiba? Lying on my left, on his side, his right arm supporting his head. He's looking at the door.

"What…?"

Gaara: "Get away from her."

Gaara? His low voice holds so much anger. Kiba doesn't move.

"What are you doing here, Kiba?"

I sit up. I look at Gaara who's standing at the door.

Kiba: "You can still rest, Akia."

"That's a little hard with two guys in my room…"

Gaara: "Akia, come here."

Gaara said it with so much pent up anger that it sounded like an order. I did as he said and he took my hand and started dragging me out of the room. Just then, Kiba held my other hand, preventing Gaara from getting me away. Gaara turned his face towards Kiba. His eyes were filled with disbelief and… hate.

Gaara: "Don't touch her."

Kiba: "Why would I ever listen to you?"

Gaara: "If you don't… I'll kill you."

This is the first time in a while that I felt so much rage radiating from Gaara.

"Please, guys… This is not worth it… Ah!"

An indescribable pain runs through my whole body and I hear a familiar low, terrifying voice talk to me inside my head.

"You will soon succumb to my power."

"Aaaaaahh!"

I grip my head while screaming from pain and fear.

Gaara: "Akia!"

Kiba: "Akia! What's wrong?!"

"Soon, you will disappear and I will take over."

"Stop! Make it stop!"

Another wave of intense pain travels through my whole body. I can't hear anything of what's happening around me. I can't see anything of what's happening around me. All I feel is extreme fear and agony. I feel a pair of hands holding my shoulders. I feel another pair of hands holding my arms.

"Mine!"

I let out another pained scream before my vision blacks out.


	57. In Between

"…Her breathing is still unstable!"

"Her high fever is going down…"

"…Wipe her sweat…"

Beep… Beep… Beep…

"Her heartbeat is stabilizing…"

"…She's regaining consciousness."

"Notify Lord Kazekage!"

My blurred vision starts to slowly adjust to the room's lighting. So many people, probably medics are busy trying to take care of my condition. So… I'm in the hospital.

"Akia!"

That voice… Gaara…

"Akia!"

This one is… Kiba.

"Akia! Hang in there!"

Lee…

How did I… An intense migraine pounds my head as I remember what happened. The Shinju… The seal is getting loose. After the curse mark was removed, my chakra has become unstable. I bring my hand up to my head to try and appease the intense pounding.

Kiba: "What happened…?"

I glance at him, then I avert my gaze to Lee, then to Gaara. They all look so worried.

"How long have I been here?"

Lee: "You have been in a critical condition for a whole day."

Kiba: "You scared the hell out of us when you suddenly started screaming then you fainted out of nowhere."

Gaara remained silent. Is something bothering him?

"Gaara."

Gaara looked at me with a soft gaze. I feel his warm hand holding mine.

Gaara: "Do you need anything?"

I give him a small smile and shake my head. Kiba holds my other hand. I jerk my head towards him and spot a shade of pink on his face.

Kiba: "If you ever need anything, I'm there for you."

Gaara: "Let go of her hand."

Kiba: "I was going to ask you the same thing."

Not again… Can't they see that I really am not in any condition to listen to their jealous retorts?

Lee: "Come on, guys. Akia needs to rest."

Lee… Thank goodness there's at least one sane person here. Gaara and Kiba both look down, ashamed of their actions at a time like this. The only thing is, none of them let go of my hand… I would retract my hands from them if it didn't require extra effort due to them squeezing them a little too hard.

"Guys, even if you're angry, please don't take it out on my poor innocent hands."

Gaara and Kiba's grips on my hands loosened a little.

Kiba: "Sorry about that."

As soon as I felt my hands again, I take them out of their grip and put them under my covers. Gaara looks at me with a little bit of disbelief as if saying 'You don't want me to hold your hand?' I feel a little guilty of doing that but if I retracted my hand from only Kiba then there would've been another meaningless argument.

Lee: "So what happened back there? All I heard was you screaming so I ran as fast as I could to come to your aid."

I know I'll have to explain it to them sooner or later, but I don't really know where to start.

"Well… How do I say this… You guys know that I have, let's say, a sample of all the tailed beasts sealed within me, right?"

Gaara: "Yeah."

Kiba: "Wait, hold on! I didn't know anything about this!"

Lee: "To be honest, me neither."

"When I was with Orochimaru, as a child, he performed some experiments on me."

At the mention of Orochimaru's name, Lee and Kiba's expressions hardened.

"One of his theories was that, if he could gather the right amount of chakra from each tailed beast, he would be able to seal it in someone's body to create a mini version of the Shinju that'll grow and develop over the time. He's researched a lot and used a lot test subjects until he got the right amount. When he did, he sealed the tailed beasts' chakra within me."

Kiba: "…Sick bastard."

Kiba barely muttered this under his breath. Somehow, it made me feel uncomfortable hearing my father being called that, even though I know he deserved worse. I tried to regain focus and continue on with my explanation.

"He also put a curse mark, which is basically his chakra, to help contain the Shinju's power and keep it under control. For the past years, the Shinju didn't really cause me any problems, but… Since Kabuto took Orochimaru's chakra from me, the seal has been unstable. The Shinju starts to act on its own without me having much control on it."

Gaara looks at me with a worried expression. If there's anyone who understands unstable tailed beasts it would be him. He knows exactly how painful and disturbing it is.

Gaara: "What happened back there was the Shinju…"

I nodded in agreement.

"What happened was that I saw the Shinju in my dream… or more like, it wasn't exactly a dream since it felt so real. Then, after I woke up, the Shinju's chakra started to stir up in my body uncontrollably while it was saying that it will take over and that I will soon cease to exist…"

There was a long silence that filled the hospital room. They all know that they can't do anything to help. I shouldn't have worried them like that…

"I can handle it."

They all look at me with obvious worry twisting their features.

"As long as there's someone to catch me when I fall."

I give them a reassuring grin and their expression eases up a bit.

Gaara: "I'll always be there."

I take out my hand and hold Gaara's. I instantly regret my action when I see the disappointed look on Kiba's face. Gaara intertwines his fingers with mine. Even though I know this is hurting Kiba, I just felt like I needed Gaara. I'm actually really scared… Saying that I can handle this was a lie. Holding Gaara's hand makes me feel secure in some way. Kiba… I'm really sorry.

Kiba: "…I'm going to go… let you rest…"

Kiba mumbled these words and left almost immediately after. I'm worried… I know that the real reason why Kiba left is because he's upset.

"Lee, can you go check on Kiba for me?"

Lee: "Is he alright?"

"That's what I want you to check…"

Lee: "…Right. I'll be going, then. Rest well."

Lee also exits the hospital room, leaving Gaara and me alone.


	58. Decision to Stay

Gaara: "Akia…"

Gaara puts his hand on my forehead. I shiver slightly under his touch.

Gaara: "You still have a slight fever."

"We still need to go back to Konoha soon…"

Gaara: "There's no way I'll let you go in your current condition. You might as well stay here with me until all the villages assemble for the war."

"But…"

Gaara: "It's almost time to gather anyway. We'll be setting out for Kumogakure in a week."

"I still need to be with my village in case they need me…"

Gaara: "What about me?"

"What…?"

What does he mean?

Gaara: "What if I need you?"

Gaara… needs me? He would never actually say it out loud like that. It's not like him. Is the approaching war shaking him?

"Of course I'll be there if you need me. Is something on your mind?"

Gaara: "…To tell you the truth, I've been appointed as the Regimental Commander."

My eyes widen at this sudden confession. Regimental Commander? That's huge!

"That's great! I'm so glad for you! You really deserve it!"

Gaara averts his gaze from me. Is something bothering him? I don't see why since he's got such a high position. Then again, it's a huge burden that's for sure. However, I'd only expect Shikamaru to complain about something like that.

Gaara: "I'm… worried."

"Worried?"

That's a first. I never thought I'd live to see the day where Gaara would be so openly worried about something. I can't help but find him adorable when he shows me all these different sides of him.

Gaara: "I'm so inexperienced… I don't know if I can successfully lead such a large number of people."

"If they thought you couldn't you wouldn't be put in this position. I mean really, I think they'd know better if you're unfit for the position. The fact that you've been chosen as the Regimental commander just means that you're best fit for it. Don't you think?"

Gaara: "You're a pretty logical person, that's unexpected."

"What do you mean by that?!"

Gaara lets out a little chuckle and takes my hand.

Gaara: "I don't know what I'd do without you…"

We look into each other's eyes. He puts his hand on the side of my face. He starts to gently comb my hair with his long fingers.

Gaara: "Akia… Please stay with me until the war."

He looks at me with a very serious look on his face.

"…Alright."

I lower my eyes. I want to stay with Gaara. With all my heart, it is the choice that I want. I just can't help but feeling selfish for choosing to stay away from my village right before the war. Now that I think about it, how am I going to tell Kiba and Lee? Lee will probably be pretty positive about the situation, but Kiba… He'll probably be completely against it. I have to think of a way to tell him…

Finally out of the hospital! I had to spend the night there until my fever went down. I spent it mostly alone since Gaara had some stuff to do in preparation for the war. Kiba and Lee did come by a few times to keep me company until I fell asleep. I still didn't tell them about my plan to stay with Gaara until the war. This war is actually making me a little nervous. It is a war to protect the two remaining Jinchuriki to prevent the revival of the Shinju. If we fail to prevent the revival… I don't what'll happen. It won't be good.

Lee: "Hey Akia! You are feeling better?"

"I'm fully energised."

Kiba: "That's great. We should start heading back to Konoha."

"About that…"

Kiba: "What?"

"In six days, Sunagakure will head towards Kumogakure."

Kiba: "Your point?"

"Her point is that we will be passing by Konoha."

"Gaara!"

Gaara approaches us.

Kiba: "Why not just leave now?"

Gaara: "Because I want her here. Besides, we planned on stopping by at Konohagakure and setting out together with the Konoha army."

Lee: "That is perfect! Allies uniting and travelling together! What great passion! I support you!"

Gaara: "Then do you agree to have Akia stay?"

Kiba: "If she's staying then so am I."

Lee: "I can't really leave my team either."

Gaara: "I guess there's no choice in the matter."

He looks a little disappointed. I bet he was just planning on having me stay. I take his hand and give it a little squeeze. I smile gently at him with a look that's saying 'It's alright, Gaara. I'm still here.' He gives me a quick smile. Kiba then comes in between us which forces us to let go of each other's hands. He puts an arm around my shoulder.

Kiba: "Well, Akia, I'll be here for you whenever you need me."

Gaara is really glaring at Kiba… This is going to be a long six days…


	59. Kiba's Move

"Gaara, you should rest."

Gaara: "I don't have time for that."

"But… It's been two days! You've been working non-stop. You need a break."

Gaara: "The war is not going to wait for me to rest."

"You can be such a hardhead…"

Seriously, he never takes care of himself. He should understand the fact that he's not a machine that can work indefinitely.

"Gaara…"

Gaara: "You're distracting me."

And that basically means that this conversation is closed and he will do whatever is on his mind. I understand that he's a workaholic that needs to finish all his paperwork to feel at ease later, but at this pace he'll just work himself to death! If I try to talk to him now, he'll just shut me up again. I'm starting to wonder why he even bothered asking me to stay if he won't spend any time with me or even listen to me. I know I shouldn't be complaining, but I'm really worried about him. I've been nagging him the whole day so he's probably a little annoyed. Maybe if I just leave him alone, he'll realize that he needs to rest by himself. I doubt it… In any case, there are a few things that I forgot at in the hospital room anyway. I'll have to leave him for a bit to go get them. I was just so busy worrying about Gaara that I didn't have time to go and pick my stuff up.

"Well… I'm going to the hospital to pick some things I forgot there. I'll be back right away."

He nodded, not taking his eyes away from his paperwork. I let out a small sigh and turn around. Maybe I shouldn't even bother coming back…

Gaara: "Come back quickly."

Did I hear that right? I turn around and catch him glancing at me. He goes back to reading some reports right away though. I guess I will be back then. He actually cares whether I'm there or not.

"I will."

I leave his office and head for the hospital. When I arrive there, I go to the room that I stayed in. I enter and find my stuff, lying there on the bed. All that's there is just some clothes. All my other stuff are back in my room. I go and pick them up, then I hear someone coming in. I turn around and find Kiba.

"Kiba? What's wrong? Why are you here?"

Kiba gets closer to me. I don't like where this is going. I back up and he keeps coming forward towards me. My back hits the wall. He slams his hands on both sides of my face and looks at me. His eyes are filled with… betrayal? anger? I can't quite place it… There's also… something resembling love.

Kiba: "Akia… Why Gaara?"

"What…? What do you mean Kiba? You're not acting normal right now."

My face is pretty emotionless right now, but a lot of things are going through my head. What is Kiba planning to do? Why is he acting this way? I need to get back to Gaara fast. I really don't feel so good around the Kiba that's in front of me.

Kiba starts talking to me with a louder voice.

Kiba: "Why him? Why not me? What does he have that I don't have? I've tried to get your attention since we were genin, but you kept pushing me away! Remember in the forest of death when Hinata asked you to tag along? She did it because she knew that's what I wanted! Remember how worried I was when you collapsed in that Sound ninja's stone dome? I was worried sick about you! Yet you never even looked my way! Then when Gaara randomly showed up, suddenly all of your attention was on him! Why is that? Tell me!"

"Kiba… I… I always thought of you as a good friend…"

My emotionless face is starting to crumble. This is not good. I need to get away. I try to push him away, but he just gets closer. His face is way too close.

Kiba: "I want to be more than just a good friend to you. I want to take Gaara's place in your heart. I want you to love me more than you ever loved him."

"Stop it, Kiba! You can't force feelings!"

Kiba: "…"

His eyes are full of pain. I really don't want to hurt him like this, but he's being really pushy right now.

"Kiba… Can you please get away… I'm getting uncomfortable."

I spot Gaara standing in the doorway. He looks really pissed. Kiba doesn't move.

"Kiba! Get away!"

Kiba turns his head around and sees Gaara.

Gaara: "Get away from her."

I haven't heard this tone of voice from Gaara since the chunin exams… His eyes are full of rage. If Kiba pushes him any further… Gaara might do something unforgivable. I can't let that happen.

Kiba: "Make me."

"Kiba, this is not the time to act all stubborn! This is a dangerous…"

Just then I feel a pair of warm lips pressed on my own. My eyes widen in horror as I realize that Kiba just kissed me! In front of Gaara! Gaara's sand is charging right at Kiba! I push Kiba away with all the strength I have and he stumbles to the right. I run towards Gaara who still hasn't stopped his sand. I hold his hands and try to stop him from doing something that he'll regret later.

"Gaara! Please! Listen to me! Don't do this!"

It's no use! He's blinded by his anger!

"Kiba, get out of here!"

He's not moving either! The sand is wrapping up around him. How can I stop this?

Gaara: "Sand…"

Before Gaara could do anything, I press my lips against his. Suddenly, everything goes quiet and the sand that was wrapping Kiba falls to the ground. I pull away from Gaara, who looks at me with bewilderment. Man that was close…

Gaara: "Akia… Why…?"

"You know you would've regretted it later. Besides, Kiba is still my comrade even after all the stuff he did."

I turn around to look at Kiba who has a hurt expression on his face.

"Kiba… I'm really sorry that I can't return your feelings. I'm in love with the guy who's right behind me. I don't think that'll ever change. But, trust me, I'm pretty sure that you'll find the girl for you. Also, I still consider you my friend and I wouldn't want to lose that."

I approach him and give him my hand to help him stand up.

Kiba: "Akia… I'm sorry… I just…"

"It's alright. Just don't do it again."

With that I punch him in the face.

Kiba: "What was that for?"

"That was for kissing me without my permission!"

Lee: "Hey guys, what happened here?"

We all turn around to find Lee rushing in the room.

"You're so late Lee…"

He looks at us with a confused face and we all leave the hospital.

After that day, Kiba didn't try anything on me again. We just remained friends. Gaara also apologized for getting carried away. They're on way better terms now. Kiba told me that he hasn't stopped liking me, but he'll stop forcing it on me. I guess the next five days in Suna won't be that bad.


	60. To Konoha

It's finally today. Today, the Suna army is setting out for Konoha. Gaara was extremely busy during the preparations for the war, so we barely had any time together. I feel that it's kind of a shame that we couldn't spend more time together. I have a feeling that there won't be any chances to even see each other for a while.

Kiba: "Ready to go?"

"Yeah… I just finished packing."

I'm going to miss this room.

Kiba: "Let's go! Your boyfriend is already done organizing his troops."

"Hm…"

Since the incident in the hospital room, Kiba has been calling Gaara my boyfriend. I don't exactly have any objections to that, since that is the relationship we have between us. Now that I think about it, Kiba and Lee are the first Konoha shinobi to know about Gaara and me. Knowing how loud they are, as soon as we get back to Konoha, most of the others will be informed about us. I guess it's about time anyway.

"Is Lee ready?"

Kiba: "Yeah, he's outside."

We both head out and meet up with Lee. He waves at us.

Lee: "You are finally here! Gaara asked for us."

"Something happened?"

Kiba: "I bet he just wanted to see you."

"Gaara doesn't do anything without a good reason."

Kiba: "If you're not a good enough reason for him, why don't you just become my girlfriend?"

"There are bigger priorities that he should be attending to other than me right now."

Lee: "There he is."

He looks busy. He's talking to Kankuro. It looks like some official Kazekage talk. His back is to us, so Kankuro was the one who noticed us over Gaara's shoulder. He grins at me and points at us for Gaara to realize that we're there. Gaara turns around, and a small smile appears on his tired face.

Kiba: "Dude, you look pooped!"

Gaara's smile disappears and he raises an invisible eyebrow in confusion.

"He means that you look extremely exhausted. You didn't sleep much. You sure you'll be alright?"

Gaara: "Don't worry about me."

"I'll worry if I want to. In this case, I want to."

Gaara blinks with a little surprise flashing in his eyes.

"You asked for our presence, Kazekage-sama?"

I give him a playful smile in response to his surprise.

Gaara: "Since when do you call me that?"

"Since I felt like it."

Gaara: "Well, I did ask for your presence indeed."

"Did something happen?"

Gaara looks away. Is that a tiny hint of blushing starting to form on his cheeks?

Gaara: "I just wanted to see how you were doing."

Kiba: "I told you!"

Gaara looks at Kiba, feeling a little confused, I assume. I let out a small chuckle.

"I thought you wouldn't do things like that if you didn't have a good enough reason."

Gaara: "How is seeing you not a good enough reason?"

Great… Now I'm blushing. I guess it's like what Kiba said. Apparently, I'm important enough for Gaara to just request my presence for the sole purpose of seeing me.

Gaara: "The sun is setting. Set camp for the night!"

This is one of those rare times where I can hear Gaara's voice loud and clear. Whenever he gives certain commands to his troops, his voice gets so much more authority. It's rather interesting…

Kiba: "Hey, Akia. Can you make one of your domes for us? It's faster than setting a tent."

"Sure."

I make an earth dome for Kiba and Lee and they start getting comfortable for the night.

"Gaara, where are you going to sleep?"

Gaara: "I'm going to rest up in one of the tents with Kankuro and Temari."

"Make sure you get enough sleep."

Gaara: "And you?"

"I'll make my own earth dome."

Gaara: "Alone?"

"Yeah."

Gaara looks to the ground at his feet. Something must be bothering him. I turn my back to him and make my earth dome.

"If you ever need me, this is where I'll be."

I turn back to him and give him a hug. He freezes up from the sudden move.

"Am I the only one who missed us being together?"

He puts his arms around me.

Gaara: "Of course not. Akia… I'm sorry. I didn't make any time for you."

"Glad you feel that way."

I pull away and smile at him.

"Well, the sun is down. I think we should get some rest. Goodnight, Gaara."

I turn around, and then I feel Gaara's hand on my wrist. I look back at him. He looks away.

"Something wrong?"

Gaara: "It can be… a little… cramped with… three people in one tent…"

Now I get it. He wants to spend the night with me. It's probably because he doesn't want to have nightmares.

"You can stay with me if you want."

Gaara: "You sure?"

"Of course! Besides, I'm the only one who can get rid of those nightmares, right?"

Gaara frowns. Did I say something wrong?

Gaara: "I don't want to stay with you just because of nightmares, Akia."

My eyes widen slightly.

"Then… why?"

Gaara: "I… love you. That's why…"

Stupid blushing won't stop at this point… Oh great, now he's blushing too. I should act fast to avoid an awkward situation. I grab Gaara's hand and pull him inside the earth dome.

"M… Make yourself comfortable. It's a long night."

Gaara chuckles. He opens his legs and pulls me down, forcing me to sit in the middle, my back resting on his chest. He puts his arms around my waist and rests his head on my head.

Gaara: "I'm comfortable now."

"Um… That's good…"

My heart is beating way too fast for its own health. I feel so warm, even though desert nights are known to be especially cold. I put my hands on his own and start dozing off in his warmth.

"Gaara…"

Gaara: "Hm?"

"I love you too…"

His hands tighten on my waist slightly and he kisses the top of my head. I then slowly start to fall asleep.


	61. Some Bad News

We have been travelling for a little more than two days now. We're nearing Konoha. Once we get there, we'll have about two days of resting before everyone sets out for Kumogakure.

Gaara: "We'll be reaching Konohagakure in a few hours. You're not too tired from standing watch last night?"

"Don't worry, I'm tougher than you think."

Last night, I chose to be on the lookout team for the night. Since we are in the forest, I am one of the best people for this job. As long as there are snakes around, it's like I have eyes all over the place. Gaara was against it at first, but I managed to convince him. Since then, he keeps asking me if I'm not too tired from not getting any sleep last night. To be honest, I don't exactly feel at my best, but it's no big deal. I've been through longer periods without any sleep. The only problem was that Gaara didn't get much sleep that night either. He was constantly checking up on me, trying to see if I needed anything. I tried to tell him to get some sleep, but there was no use.

"You're the one who should've slept more last night."

Gaara: "And leave you alone? I'm pretty sure you enjoyed my company."

He gives me a playful grin. Since when did he learn that move? And he's pretty good at it too!

"Of course I enjoyed it, but that doesn't mean I wasn't annoyed that you didn't rest... Especially that you didn't get much sleep at Suna for the past week."

Gaara: "There are more important things than sleeping."

"But if you don't sleep, you won't be able to do these important things."

Gaara: "…Damn you and your logic…"

I give him a triumphant grin. One thing that I noticed from being around Gaara is that he is actually much more emotional that what he shows. Come to think of it, if he wasn't driven by emotions, he would've probably never become negatively affected by his past. Deep down, Gaara is just one big softy… And that's what I love about him. Around him, I lose part of my logical mind and just let myself go… at times. Mostly when we're alone…

Kiba: "I see the village up ahead!"

Lee: "We are almost there!"

Perfect. I missed my village.

At the village, everyone is busy preparing for the war and providing the Suna shinobi with food and a place to stay. Gaara, Kiba, Lee, and I went to the Hokage's office.

"Lady Tsunade, we are back."

Lady Tsunade: "So, you had fun over there? Staying all that time…"

She muttered that last part. I guess she would've liked having us here earlier to help with the preparations for the war.

Gaara: "Lady Hokage."

Lady Tsunade: "Lord Kazekage."

They nod at each other in greeting.

Lady Tsunade: "Lee, Kiba, you can both go. Akia, I have some news that concern someone who's… close to you. Lord Kazekage, can you please wait outside until I tell Akia what I need to tell her?"

Gaara, Lee, and Kiba all leave. Gaara gives me a concerned look right before going out the door and I give him a reassuring smile in response. Whatever Lady Tsunade has to tell me, I know it won't be good. I have to be prepared for it, and I don't want to worry Gaara over my problems. He should focus on his role as Kazekage and as the regimental commander of the army for the upcoming war. Unfortunately, Gaara apparently doesn't share these same thoughts. I can sense him from behind the door… He's pretty close so he will probably be able to hear everything. I just hope that whatever Lady Tsunade has to tell me isn't too bad.

"What is it that you need to tell me, Lady Tsunade?"

Lady Tsunade sighs and looks me in the eyes from behind her desk. She seems really worried or upset about whatever she's going to say.

Lady Tsunade: "Akia… There are some bad news that you need to know. It's about Anko."

A nervous feeling starts to form in my throat. I frown a little.

"Anko-sensei? Did something happen to her? Wasn't she on a mission to track down Kabuto?"

Lady Tsunade: "Yes… The only problem is that one of her teammates arrived early this morning, alone. He told us that all the other members of the squad were killed by the man they were tracking."

"Wait… all? Does that include…"

Anko-sensei? Dead? Or… Kabuto probably captured her to take Orochimaru's power out of her like he did to me.

Lady Tsunade: "I don't know. Anko told her teammate to run and contact the village as fast as possible. He didn't stay long enough to witness what happened to her. I suspect that she's also… gone."

"No… Not yet. Kabuto needs her alive so that he can extract Orochimaru's chakra from her. There's still a chance that she's alive."

Lady Tsunade: "…Are you sure?"

"I'm not sure about anything; I just suggested a possibility."

Lady Tsunade: "And a highly probable one. If what you say is true, then a rescue team should be dispatched immediately."

"I'd like to be part of it."

Lady Tsunade: "Sorry, Akia, but you're not a tracker nin. You're much more needed in the upcoming war. You're a very strong fighter, and a smart one too. There aren't that many of your kind…"

She's probably thinking of Kiba, Naruto, and Lee. The trio loudmouths who charge according to their gut feeling. Not that it's bad or anything… I see nothing wrong with it when you have the skills to back it up.

"Alright…"

Lady Tsunade: "Good. I'm glad you understand. You may go now… And send the Kazekage in."

It's really upsetting me that I can't go after Anko-sensei, especially when that asshole Kabuto is involved, but Lady Tsunade raised some pretty good points. I know that I won't be very efficient in a tracking mission. However, if that rescue team fails, I will personally go there and kill that four-eyed maniac.

I go out of Lady Tsunade's office, and, as I suspected, I find Gaara standing right in front of the door. His eyes were still full of concern. I give him a light pat on his shoulder

"It's your turn to get in there. Hopefully there won't be any bad news this time."

Gaara: "You'll be alright?"

"Please… There are more things to worry about than something that I know I can't change right now."

Gaara: "You know, sometimes it's alright to let go of that extreme logic of yours and be more honest with your feelings."

"I do that around you, don't I? If I did that all the time, I would be an emotional wreck."

Gaara shrugs and goes in Lady Tsunade's office. He closes the door behind him after looking at me for one last time.

It's not the first time that Gaara criticizes my way of rationalizing everything and filtering unnecessary emotions. What he probably doesn't really know is that I always do that as a way to protect myself. I'm not as strong as I seem… If I let go of myself, I probably won't be able to pick myself up again, even with his help. I still am surprised of how I am around Gaara. I openly express my emotions, which is really rare for me. He is the only person that I can be like that with. Even then, when we're in public, I try to control my emotions around him. I wonder if I'll ever be able to be more like Naruto who openly expresses how he feels about others. I really admire him for that. Well, enough daydreaming. I need to go get some rest for tomorrow, the day we set out for Kumogakure. The trip will probably take about a week or so with such a huge army. I'm surprised there is even enough space in the village for everyone to rest…


	62. Visitors

Right when I step out of the Hokage's building, I see Sakura dashing towards me. What's up with her?

Sakura: "Akia! Just the person I've been looking for!"

"Uh… Do you need something?"

Sakura: "Well, kind of… You know how there are extremely a lot of shinobi in the village right now? Well… There aren't enough inns to accommodate them all so Konohagakure shinobi all over the village have arranged to take in one or two Sunagakure shinobi to give them a place to stay in their own houses."

"And I'm supposed to take in some Suna shinobi?"

Sakura: "You got it! I already took in two Sunagakure kunoichi. Since you live alone in your apartment, it'll be okay for you to take two kunoichi as well, right?"

"…I guess."

I'm not exactly the most social person, so having two people will be easier for them. They'll be able to keep each other company and leave me out of any annoying social situations.

Sakura: "Great! I'll take you to them so that you can show them where you live and get things ready."

I follow Sakura to the dango shop. Seeing this place makes my brain unwillingly think of Anko-sensei. Despite acting calm about the situation she's in, I'm actually really worried. I just know that worrying won't bring me anywhere.

Sakura: "Here they are!"

Sakura's voice snatches me away from my thoughts. I look down at the two girls seated in front of a plate of dango. They both look up at me. I know who they are…

"Matsuri, Seri… You're the lucky girls who will be sleeping at my place tonight."

There was a little bit of sarcasm in my voice. Those two are best friends. They also share the same obsession with Gaara. And I thought Matsuri was bad enough on her own… Now I have to deal with double the annoying fangirling.

Matsuri: "A… Akia-san! That's great!"

She's lying. It's really obvious too. Her mouth is still twitching from it. Seri starts whispering something to Matsuri while eyeing me. Matsuri does the same. Personally, I really don't care whatever they say about me as long as they don't endanger my life in any way. That is the only time that I'll actually stop them. Other than that, they're not really harming anyone with their gossiping.

"If you girls want a place to spend the night, you better start following me."

I start walking towards my apartment's direction, and I hear their rushed steps behind me.

We finally arrive at my apartment and I unlock the door. I invite them in.

"Take a look around and make yourselves comfortable. Just don't touch anything that looks too dangerous or too personal. Don't freak out if you find some snakes around; they're my pets. Just don't annoy them and they won't hurt you. I'll prepare something to eat in the meantime."

Seri: "S… Snakes?!"

"I use snake jutsu so naturally I like to be around snakes in general."

Matsuri: "W… Well, I think… It'll be safer for us to just wait here then…"

"It's like you want, really."

After a bit, their whispering starts again. I decided to cook some curry, since it's easy and fast. It's almost ready. I must say that I'm not an extremely great cook, mainly because there's no time for it, but I can still manage to cook somewhat tasty food. At least, I find it tasty. I never really cooked for anyone before.

"Well, the food is ready."

I serve them some curry and rice.

Matsuri: "Thanks for the meal."

Seri: "I'm starving!"

I notice Matsuri nudging her friend and giving her a reprimanding look. I guess they're a little scared of me. Maybe they're just not comfortable around me.

"Don't worry, I'm starving too."

I give them a little smile that lasts for less than a second. That's all I can manage. I don't smile often, especially to anyone other than Gaara and Naruto. That smile though seems like it was enough to lift some of their tension. They both smile back, this time it's not as fake as the one Matsuri gave me at the dango shop. We start eating in silence, but not for long.

Matsuri: "This is really good! Your cooking is amazing!"

I blink a few times in surprise. My cooking is amazing? Well… That's great, I guess.

"Thanks. It's not really that complicated to make."

Seri: "How is it that you cook so well?"

"Well… I don't know. Maybe because I've been living by myself since I was like seven or eight."

Matsuri: "What happened to your parents?"

Wait… They don't know? I'm pretty sure everyone knows by now that I'm Orochimaru's daughter. Seri slaps the back of her friend's head and whispers something to her about me being Orochimaru's daughter. I guess Matsuri is a forgetful person then.

Matsuri: "S… Sorry about that! I forgot…"

"It's okay. If you girls are still hungry, you can serve yourselves."

I get up after finishing my food and get some snake food for my poor little pets that had to find their own food while I was gone for so long. As soon as I take out the food, all ten of my snakes come crawling. Sakura always nagged me about how there are way too many snakes in my apartment. I still think it would be great if I have a few more snakes around. It's because of them that it feels like home. Since I parted with Neiko, I decided to have other snakes keep me company. They aren't as intelligent as her, but they're still very sweet. I even made an opening for them to leave whenever they want. It's easier for them to survive like that when I'm on long missions. However, when I'm home, they don't even bother getting near the exit. The lazy little bastards… I grin at how they're just swallowing all of the food that I'm giving them. I hear gasps coming from the dinner table. I look up and see Matsuri and Seri's horrified faces.

Seri: "So… many… snakes!"

"They're very nice if you get to know them."

Matsuri: "Thanks, but I'll pass."

Nobody is ever willing to get to know them… Come to think of it, Gaara has never been to my place before. It doesn't seem like he'll be able to see it anytime soon.

"You girls can sleep in my bed tonight. I'll sleep on the couch."

They both nod and thank me. After that, they chatter together while I wash the dishes. It's almost nightfall already. I wonder if Gaara is done with whatever Lady Tsunade and him are talking about.

Matsuri: "Akia-san…"

I look at Matsuri from over my shoulder.

"What is it?"

Matsuri: "We were wondering… about you and Gaara…"

"What about us?"

Seri: "Are you two… dating?"

"I guess."

I mean what else would it be? We hug, kiss, go out on dates when we can. We even slept next to each other more times than I can count. I couldn't help but notice the disappointment in their eyes. I don't blame them. They are really fond of Gaara.

Matsuri: "Why did he chose you?"

That's an interesting question… More than a question out of curiosity, it feels like she's asking it with some hidden bitterness.

"I don't know. Maybe because I was never afraid of him. I bet he just had to get himself a girl who was even scarier than him at times."

I don't know if I'm scarier than Gaara to other people, but I know I am to these two.

Seri: "I personally think that Gaara-sama should be around more cheerful people to lighten him up…"

She says it as a suggestion, but it's clear she means it as an indirect insult. Fangirls these days…

"I think he knows what's best for him. It's not anyone's place to tell him who he should be around or who he shouldn't be around."

I realize how I answered all their questions with an extremely bored tone. I guess that's just how meaningless this conversation is to me.

Finally done with the dishes.


	63. Last Night

The sun is starting to set outside. Someone knocks on my door. I wonder why anyone would pay me a visit now of all times… Maybe it's Gaara? It's just my wishful thinking, though.

I go open the door and I see…

"Sakura… It's just you…"

Sakura: "What do you mean it's just me? Oh you were hoping it was someone else weren't you."

"What brings you here? More people I need to take in?"

Sakura: "No, actually I'm here to take these two to my place… Order of the Kazekage. Now I'll have four people over…"

She seems really down about that. I would be too actually, but I'm glad those two are leaving.

"Matsuri, Seri! You're leaving with Sakura."

They both come running, and I spot the relieved faces they have to hearing this.

Seri: "Really? Not that I'm complaining, but why?"

Sakura: "Kazekage's orders."

They give puzzled faces and Sakura takes them with her, leaving me back to my peaceful home with my dear pets. I close the door and go to the kitchen.

"Man, now I have extra food. Should I just pack it for tomorrow?"

Just then, another knock sounds at my door. Did the girls forget something? Is Sakura back to tell me it was all a joke and I'm still stuck with having people stay over? I hope not.

I go open the door to find a guy. A guy that's taller than me. A guy that's a huge part of my life. A guy that I'm surprised to see here.

"What are you doing here, Gaara?"

He chuckles.

Gaara: "That's how you greet me?"

"I'm just surprised that you were able to find where I live."

Gaara: "It's simple really, I asked Lady Tsunade."

"Well that makes sense."

Gaara: "…Aren't you going to invite me in?"

"Oh… I forgot. Come into my humble home, Kazekage-sama. I hope it's to your liking."

I give him a teasing smile and he pinches my cheek.

"Ow ow ow!"

Gaara: "I told you not to call me that."

He lets go of my cheek and we both go in. He looks around. He seems really interested in almost everything.

"Just be careful not to step on my pet snakes."

Gaara: "…You have pet snakes?"

"Are you also going to freak out about it?"

Gaara: "Also?"

"Matsuri and Seri were completely freaked out when they saw me feeding them."

Gaara: "If I was able to get along with Neiko, I think I can handle a few pet snakes… As long as they don't bite…"

"Want me to show you around?"

Gaara nods and I take his hand and show him around my little apartment. I show the kitchen that's linked with the entrance. Then I show him my room. I only have those two sections in my apartment plus the bathroom. It's a really small place. When we get to my room, he looks at everything. He doesn't move from his place though.

"You know, I give you permission to look around."

With that he lets go of my hand and looks everywhere. He doesn't touch much though. He's such a polite guy. Either that or he's shy.

Gaara: "What's this box?"

"Did the colors attract you?"

Gaara: "It's the only colourful thing in this room, so of course it got my attention."

This box actually contains the letters that I got from Gaara. They're not many, but the few I got are very precious to me.

"…You can open it if you're curious."

Gaara opens it and takes out one of the letters.

Gaara: "You keep these?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

Gaara: "I kept yours too. Even though we didn't really write to each other a lot."

After looking around my room again, we both go to the kitchen. I notice a bag that he brought along.

"What's in there?"

Gaara: "My personal stuff."

"So… If I'm not mistaken, you told Sakura to take Matsuri and Seri away so that you can sleep here instead? Did I get that right?"

Gaara: "As always, you're very observant."

He gives me a smile and takes out a pair of pants, a casual t-shirt from his bag, and some underwear.

"Taking a shower?"

Gaara nods and heads for the bathroom. Well, I'm really happy that I get to spend the last night in Konoha before the war with Gaara. I wonder if he's hungry. He'll just have to eat the leftover curry. He's lucky he didn't run into any of my snakes yet. Now I don't have to sleep on the couch, I'll just sleep next to him.

While lost in my trail of thoughts, I notice that the shower water stopped. He's done. Time to take my own shower.

Gaara comes out of the bathroom wearing his casual outfit with his wet hair falling on his eyes.

"I'm going in next!"

I pull him out of the bathroom door frame and I get in there.

Gaara: "No need to be violent…"

I stick out my tongue to him. He chuckles.

After my shower, I come out to find Gaara sitting on my bed, looking at my scrolls. One of my snakes is lying on his lap.

"You befriended it already?"

Gaara: "I didn't do much. It approached me and I let it."

"You hungry?"

Gaara: "…A little."

"I have some leftover curry."

Gaara: "That's all you give on my first visit?"

"You should've just told me you were coming over instead of barging in like that!"

Gaara gets up from my bed after carefully moving away the snake. He puts his arm around my waist and pulls me into his chest. He smells so good from the shower…

Gaara: "Didn't you like my little surprise?"

"Of course I did. This is the last peaceful night we'll have…"

Gaara: "Don't think of what's coming, it'll ruin the moment."

"You're right. Want some curry? I cooked it myself."

Gaara: "I never did taste your cooking before. I just hope I won't get sick."

"Hey! It's not that bad!"

We go to the kitchen and he gets himself some rice and curry. He eats a spoonful and looks at me after swallowing it. Why isn't he saying anything? Is it really bad? Were Matsuri and Seri lying to me when they said it was good?

"…Well?"

Gaara chuckles.

Gaara: "I've never seen you so anxious about anything, and now you're worried about how your food tastes."

"Stop teasing me and tell me if it passes!"

Gaara: "Well… I don't know how to say this…"

He's dragging it… And he's enjoying the fact that he's dragging it… I see that smirk, Gaara! I see that you're doing all this just to tease me!

"Out with it already!"

Gaara: "It's actually really good. Where did you learn how to cook like that?"

"Seriously? You like it? If I knew I would've cooked for you on earlier occasions… I didn't really learn anywhere, it's just from life experience."

Gaara: "You'll have the opportunity to cook for me again, I'll make sure of that."

I know there's no guarantee that we'll both get out of the war… I shouldn't think of that. I should enjoy the moment. Gaara would be really pissed if he finds out what I'm thinking.

I look outside the window.

"It's already this late?"

Gaara: "We should get some rest. Tomorrow will be a long day."

Gaara takes his empty plate and washes it.

"Gaara…"

Gaara: "Hm?"

"Nothing… I just wanted to say your name."

Gaara brings a chair and sits next to me. He starts brushing my hair with his fingers.

Gaara: "I'm always amazed at how soft your hair is, despite you not having the time to take care of it."

I turn my head towards him. The thought that I might lose him… again… This war… I don't want anything to happen to him… I won't be able to take it.

Gaara: "Akia…"

"What?"

Gaara smiles at me.

Gaara: "Nothing, I just wanted to hear your voice."

"Hah… You got that idea from what I said before, didn't you?"

Gaara: "Maybe"

We look into each other's eyes. Gaara's eyes also have a lot of worry buried in there. I don't blame him… I have a feeling this is going to be a long and tough war. Gaara leans in and kisses me on the forehead.

Gaara: "Don't worry. We're both strong, we won't go down so easily."

It sounds like he's saying it to himself too, to reassure himself that I'll be fine.

"Let's go to bed."

I get up and take Gaara's hand and lead him to my bedroom. Once we get to my bedroom, he stops in his tracks. I turn around to see why he suddenly stopped.

"Gaara…?"

He hugs me tightly. So tightly that I can barely breathe. It's as if he is hanging on to his life.

"I can't breathe…"

He doesn't loosen his grip. This is worrying me… Is something wrong? Is something upsetting him? I hope he's alright.

Gaara: "Promise me…"

His voice is a little shaky… It's like he's holding in his tears.

"Gaara? Is something the matter? Are you alright?"

Gaara: "Promise me… That you'll be alright…"

Tears start to well up in my own eyes. I bring my arms up around his neck and he buries his face into my hair.

"I want to… I want to promise that… I want you to promise me that too, but… You know we can't guarantee anything. But… I promise that I'll do everything I can to stay alive. I'll do anything for us to be together again after all this."

Gaara's grip loosens up a little, leaving a sore sensation in my breasts.

"You promise too?"

Gaara: "Of course. I love you so much…"

"I love you too… More than anything or anyone in this whole world."

I feel Gaara's body finally relax and he slowly pulls away and looks me straight in the eyes. Before I know it I feel a pair of lips crash into mine. Gaara's soft, warm lips… We kiss… And kiss… lovingly… desperately… Like our life depends on it… After a bit, we break away to catch our breath. Gaara's face is flushed… Mine is too probably.

I look out the window and realize just how late it is. Gaara seems to notice too.

Gaara: "I think we should really get some rest."

"You're right…"

Gaara lies down on my bed, on his side, and I lie down in his arms. There's an unsettling feeling in my stomach… The Shinju is becoming more and more restless as the war approaches. I know how to keep it from disturbing me by concentrating my chakra on the seal, but I have to do it more and more often now. I'm really scared… about what will happen if they succeed in reviving the real Shinju. Who thought my father's experiment would be somewhat of a success… Having a mere portion of the real Shinju inside of me, and it's already this painful. The complete one would be so much more devastating… At all costs… We have to prevent it from being revived…

Gaara: "Stay close to me for the whole trip there."

"I will. Goodnight, Gaara."

Gaara: "Goodnight, Akia."

I finally start to dose off in Gaara's warmth. Taking in his comforting smell… Listening to the pattern of his breathing… His heartbeat… Gaara…


	64. Off to War

We've been travelling for a few hours already. The sun is setting, and it seems like we'll be stopping soon for the night. With all these people, I have a feeling we'll be stopping much more than I'd like to. Usually, I'd go for at least two days without stopping on the way, but we'll be resting every night until we reach Kumogakure. As I promised to Gaara, I haven't left his side since we left Konoha. However, since he's the Kazekage, he's been talking about the strategies with Lady Hokage, meaning that I'm being completely ignored. I'm not complaining, but I feel a little left out.

"Hey… Akia…"

Hm? Who's whispering my name behind me? I turn around and find Ino catching up to me.

"Ino? What is it?"

Ino: "Well, I heard!"

"…Heard what?"

Ino: "Oh, you know! That you and the Kazekage are together, hehe."

"Was it Kiba that told you?"

I had a feeling he wouldn't keep quiet about it… Now I'll have to deal with all the teasing and questions.

Ino: "Who cares who told me? How come you never mentioned this? How long has it been?"

"A while…"

Lady Tsunade: "Hey, girls, spread the word to everyone that we're stopping in the clearing up ahead."

"Yes, Lady Tsunade."

Mud clones will make this go faster. Ino and I start telling the ninja about Lady Tsunade's orders.

It's already dark. We are all resting at the clearing, just like what Lady Tsunade ordered. We set up the tents, and started preparing for the nights and organizing the night shifts for lookouts. After setting up their tents, Ino, Sakura, and Tenten come to see me. I bet this is about me and Gaara… Speaking of Gaara, he's still in the middle of an important discussion with Lady Tsunade.

Tenten: "Hey, Akia! Come with us, We have so many things we want to ask you."

I guess I have nothing better to do, since Gaara is currently busy…

"Coming…"

I follow the girls who lead me into one of the tents they set up. I notice that Hinata is in there. I guess it's a Konoha kunoichi gathering. I haven't had a girl night before. I wonder if it's going to be fun. Now that I think of it, I needed a sort of breather, away from the reality of the situation.

Sakura: "So girls, let's sit down and talk a little about something other than fighting and missions! It's been a while since I was able to have some girl talk… With Lady Tsunade, it's kind of hard, considering her age…"

Tenten: "But you're still so lucky to be able to have her as your sensei. I wish I could, but my type of chakra doesn't work with medical Ninjutsu."

Ino: "Didn't we say that we aren't going to talk about our ninja life? Let's focus on some girl stuff! Like the fact that Akia here has had a boyfriend for who knows how long!"

Sakura: "That's so true. How come you didn't tell us?"

Hinata: "I actually kind of knew about it…"

Yeah, that's true, I did mention Gaara around Hinata before. I think when I needed to send him a letter?

Ino: "What? So you knew about it Hinata?"

Hinata: "I wasn't totally sure… I had a feeling, that's all…"

So that's how a girl talk is? A lot of talking, not a moment of silence... Don't they need to breathe at some point? It's entertaining though.

Tenten: "So Akia, since have you guys been together?"

"Well…"

Ino: "Yeah, I bet it's been a while hasn't it…"

"I actually don't really know… But, I guess he got my attention since the first Chunin exam."

Sakura: "He was so scary back then…"

"Was he?"

Tenten: "Killing everyone who got on his nerves wasn't hint enough that he was dangerous…?"

She sounds really sarcastic saying that.

"Well, he didn't kill me. And I was the one who stopped him from killing that sound ninja guy…"

Sakura: "The sound ninja?"

"You know, the one I fought in the final stage of the Chunin exam."

Hinata: "The one you killed?"

"It was an accident…"

Ino: "Now that I think of it, you were just as scary."

All of them laugh at Ino's comment. I actually manage to giggle a little.

Tenten: "You did look pretty unfazed when you killed the poor guy."

"Come on, it wasn't really my fault that I couldn't completely control the chakra I put in the jutsu."

Sakura: "Yeah right, you probably didn't care either way."

"True…"

Ino: "So did you guys ever kiss?"

"Yes."

They all squeal and hide their faces with their hands. Was I being too honest?

Sakura: "So direct about it!"

Tenten: "Awesome!"

Hinata: "A-Akia, y-you have so much confidence in saying it…"

Ino: "I did NOT expect that!"

"I was just being honest about it…"

Sakura: "Tell us everything! You will not leave this tent until you tell us all the details."

Man… That's what I was afraid of…

Hinata: "T-That's so romantic, Akia."

Ino: "Man, I wish I had a boyfriend…"

Tenten: "You're not interested in anyone?"

Ino: "Well, it was Sasuke before but…"

Hinata: "H-He's gone…"

Sakura: "He'll come back! I'm sure of it…"

"You still like him?"

Sakura: "I… Yeah…"

Ino: "Well, for once, you can have him. There's someone else on my mind…"

Tenten: "Seriously? Who's that? Tell us!"

Ino gave up on Sasuke? Well, I guess she wasn't as serious about him as Sakura is. At least all the meaningless rivalry between them is going to be toned down from now on.

Ino: "Well… it's Sai…"

Sakura: "…Are you serious? He is good-looking, but don't you find him a little awkward?"

Ino: "That's what I like about him! He's so cute when he acts all lost and confused!"

Hinata: "I-I'm glad for you, Ino."

Ino: "Thanks, Hinata! You know something I've noticed? Shikamaru actually talks a lot about Temari! Even though most of the time he says that she's troublesome, he actually compliments how she's reliable from time to time."

Sakura: "You think he likes her?"

Ino: "Probably… He never talks about girls. She's the only one he's mentioned."

"You know, come to think of it, Temari has been mentioning Shikamaru a lot too. Mostly badmouthing him, though… It's probably her way of showing affection."

Ino: "I am so for hooking them up."

"I don't think we have the time with the war coming up…"

Sakura: "Akia is right, but that doesn't mean we can't do this after the war."

"After, huh…"

Who knows who'll be alive and who won't be… Is it even guaranteed that any of us will be alive? Will we even win this war?

Ino: "Let's stop thinking of the war for at least tonight…"

Sakura: "Yeah, we need some kind of breather. Hey Tenten, is there anyone you like?"

Tenten: "N-No! What are you talking about? I have no time for that!"

Ino: "Stop lying! We know there's someone."

"Is it Neji?"

Tenten: "How do you know?"

"A hunch."

More like it's totally obvious by how she clearly admires him.

Sakura: "Neji is pretty cool."

"He kind of has that same arrogant feel as Sasuke."

Tenten: "Isn't he just dreamy?"

"Well…"

Not at all… He's just not my type. I know better than to say that out loud though.

Ino: "And everyone knows that Hinata is totally head over heels for Naruto."

Hinata turns as red as a ripened tomato.

Hinata: "W-W-W-What? D-D-Don't say it out loud!"

"Don't worry, everyone already knows anyway."

Sakura: "Hey, someone's coming over to our tent."

I turn around to the entrance and find a very familiar silhouette approaching. I get out of the tent and all the girls follow me. As I thought, it's Gaara. He looks at me and smiles. His smile disappears when he hears the giggling going on behind me. I chuckle at his confusion.

"So, you finished your long talk with Lady Tsunade?"

Gaara: "Uh, yeah. I came to tell you that I was preparing to rest for the night."

"Well then, let's go."

I turn around and wave to the girls. Then I face Gaara once again. I take his hand and we head towards the tent we'll be resting in. As soon as I took Gaara's hand, non-stop squealing occurred behind us. I have a feeling that any open signs of affection between the two of us is going to have the same reactions from now on… Strangely, it doesn't really bother me…


	65. The Speech

We've been travelling for almost a week now. Kumogakure is pretty close. We should arrive in a few hours, according to Gaara. He's going to have to say a speech in front of the Allied Shinobi Forces as soon as we arrive as the Regimental Commander. Even though he doesn't show it, I still feel his tension. I'm sure he'll do well. For the whole day today, he's been making sure that I was right next to him. The reality of the war is catching up at a scary speed.

We're finally here… The troops are being put in organized lines in front of where Gaara will be giving his speech. It all happened so fast that I didn't even have the time to wish Gaara luck. He was dragged to the front with all the other Kage. I, on the other hand, stood in line to receive the official uniform of the Allied Forces. It consists of a new headband and an armoured vest. I was then brought to stand in line with my fellow ninja. Right now, I'm standing in the middle of a lot of people that I've never seen before. They're probably not from Konohagakure or Sunagakure. I've heard that we'll be separated in Divisions with specific roles. These Divisions were made by all five Kage, but I bet A, the Raikage, had more influence on that, considering he's the Supreme Leader of the Allied Shinobi Forces. I hope I'll be able to get along with my Division and carry out my role to the fullest. I see Kakashi-sensei approaching where I am. I heard he was one of the Division Commanders. Am I in his Division?

Kakashi-sensei: "Akia! There you are! You were put in the wrong section, follow me."

Wrong section? So we were put in terms of Divisions from the start… It's probably because I was following Gaara so closely that I ended up in the wrong place. In any case, I should follow Kakashi-sensei.

I join the group where Kakashi-sensei leads me. I recognize a lot of my fellow Konohagakure shinobi. Guy-sensei is there, as well as Lee. I also spot Sakura who sees me as well. She waves at me and joins me.

Sakura: "Akia, you're in our Division! That's awesome!"

"So, you're the main medic for our team, I assume."

Sakura: "That's right. I can also serve as offense whenever I'm needed."

"I'll make sure you stay safe; we need our best medic to be in top shape."

Sakura giggles.

Sakura: "Alright, I'm counting on you, Akia."

Kakashi-sensei stands at the front of our Division, which contains several thousands of shinobi and samurai, and starts explaining our mission.

Kakashi-sensei: "Everyone, my name is Kakashi Hatake, and I will be this Division's general. Our Division, Division 3, consists of the close and mid-range fighters. We were all chosen for our good physical strength and stamina. The combats that we will fight will be hard and demanding, but it is our duty to prevail, and succeed in chasing away our enemies."

After finishing his small speech, Kakashi-sensei goes up to where the other generals and commanders are. In front of us, is a huge wall. At the top, a few leaders are standing. Gaara will be coming out soon to give his speech. This Division is perfect for me, since I am both a close and mid-range fighter. Considering physical strength, I might not have as much as Lee, Guy-sensei, or Sakura, but I definitely am in the stronger half. As for stamina, the Shinju's chakra could come in handy. Speaking of Sakura, she's already starting to get acquainted with the other members of our Division. That's smart of her… I should probably try to do the same. I spot a girl with purple paint on each cheek, kind of like Kiba's red ones, but a little more stylish. I think I've seen her in Sunagakure before. I should approach her.

"Hi there."

She glances my way.

"Hello. Aren't you the kunoichi who's always with Kazekage-sama?"

"I am. I'm Akia, by the way. What's your name?"

"I'm Maki. It's nice to meet you, Akia."

She seems like a pretty composed person. It's so much easier for me to deal with people who know how to control their emotions.

"So, you ready for this war, Maki?"

Maki: "Whether I'm ready or not does not matter. I will just have to keep moving forward and do my best."

"I like your attitude."

Maki: "And you, Akia, do you believe that we can ever be ready for a war?"

"War… We can never be ready for something like that no matter how much we train or come to terms with it."

Maki: "Agree…"

"But, like you said, we just have to keep moving forward; we have no choice."

She nods. She looks ahead, towards where the generals are standing.

Maki: "Kazekage-sama is coming out."

Gaara? I turn to where he's supposed to be standing. He looks so composed. I feel like he's got so much more authority, standing at such a high place, with that confident look. A lot of people start talking about how young Gaara is to be the Regimental Commander.

"How can we trust such a young shinobi to be our commander?"

"Our Kazekage is much stronger than any of your Iwagakure shinobi!"

Great… Now Iwagakure and Sunagakure shinobi are arguing. It's not a surprise, though, considering they've been enemies for quite some time. Man, I hate hearing people talk bad about Gaara, but if I join in the fight, it'll just get bigger. Maki's probably thinking the same thing, since she's not intervening. Perfectly level-headed… I feel like they should at least shut up so that Gaara can start his speech.

"YOU WANT A PIECE OF ME!"

"COME AND GET IT!"

This is getting bad, two shinobi are going to start a fight, and, if it isn't stopped, more will join in! I should…

Before I could even get close, sand separates the two. Gaara…! I look up to where he is. It was definitely him who stopped them.

Gaara: "Three times now… We've fought World Wars for our own nations, our own villages. We've hurt one another. We've hated one another. That hatred bred a lust for power, and that lust for power created me."

That's right… If there wasn't all this hatred, Gaara, Naruto, and all other Jinchuriki, wouldn't have suffered like this. Gaara… Look at you now, though. Everyone is paying attention to you, everyone acknowledges you. To say that I feel proud of you is an understatement.

Gaara: "I was a Jinchuriki, the embodiment of hatred and power. And I hated this world, and all the people in it… I wanted to destroy it with my own hands… The exact same thing Akatsuki is trying to do today. But one man, one ninja from Konohagakure stopped me, as well as one woman who was always there from behind the scenes."

Did he just… mention me? Why do I feel so happy about it…

Gaara: "I was her enemy, yet she wished me luck. I was his enemy, yet he wept for me. I hurt them, yet they called me their friend. They saved me! My enemies, my fellow Jinchuriki… They suffered the same pain as me, yet bore no ill will! There are no enemies here, because we've all suffered at Akatsuki's hand! So there is no Sand, no Stone, no Leaf, no Mist, no Cloud! There are only "Shinobi"!"

Gaara… it's like you were born to be a leader.

Gaara: "And if you still hold a grudge against the Sand, then when this war is over, come and take my head instead!"

Huh? As if I'd ever let them! Even if it's for the speech, how can he say something like that… I know it's honourable of him and all, but… I just can't imagine him gone! Not even hear it being mentioned!

I look around and see the Shinobi's shocked expressions. Well, if he wanted to gain their respect and make an impression, it definitely worked.

Gaara: "Our enemies are after the friend who saved my life! If they take him, if we hand him over, our world is finished! I want to protect him, and I want to protect our world! But I'm too young to protect it all on my own! All of you, lend me your aid!"

As soon as he finishes, people start cheering for him.

"WE'RE WITH YOU GAARA-SAMA!"

Incredible… How could people's attitudes change so drastically… You've really done it Gaara. You've untied lifetime enemies with such a powerful speech, which only stated the truth.

Maki: "Kazekage-sama is really something, isn't he?"

"Yeah… I feel like I don't deserve such a great guy."

I'm so lucky to have him, though… I'll never let him go.


	66. An Old Friend

Kakashi: "Third Division! On guard! We'll be advancing ahead of all the others."

It's starting. The war. We can't let our guard down for even a second. As Kakashi-sensei starts leaving, we all follow. We're probably one of the fastest divisions out there. I wonder what our first confrontation will be. For once, I won't be required to hold back.

We keep moving in silence, our senses at their peak. Finally, Kakashi-sensei breaks the silence by giving us our next orders.

Kakashi: "Headquarters gave us the order to head for the Land of Hot Water. Until we get our next orders, this will be our goal."

Right. I wonder how the other squads are doing. By now, there must be at least one division that has engaged in some battle. We've passed the Land of Frost's border, we're almost at the Land of Hot Water. That's when I hear a whistling sound behind our division. An enemy? I wasn't the only one who noticed. Many of us turn around towards the sound, and we see a red flare that has been launched. That means one of the squads is in need of help.

Kakashi: "We must help. Third Division, head for the signal."

We all turn around and head for where the flare originated. Considering I was at the end of the squad we were heading out, now I find myself at the first row, meaning I'll probably get there the fastest. As we get closer, I notice Sai's ink birds being destroyed, and resulting in the Surprise Attack Division falling to the ground. The enemy is probably going to take advantage of that fall and attack them. I should pick up my pace, since I'm the closest to where they are. Kakashi-sensei and I block the enemy's attack. When I look in front of me to see who's kunai I blocked, I find… Haku?

Haku: "Akia…?"

"What… How…"

His senbon is still pressed against mine, but there isn't any strength added to it. We both can't take our eyes off each other. Didn't Haku die?

Sai: "Kakashi-san, you saved us."

Kakashi: "It's a little too early to be celebrating… Those are some powerful and dangerous foes."

I hear Zabuza's voice from next to me. Him and Kakashi-sensei are probably in the same position as Haku and I.

Zabuza: "I knew I'd end up fighting someone, but I never thought it'd be you, Kakashi."

"Kakashi-sensei… This is all Kabuto's doing, isn't it…"

Words are getting all chocked up in my throat. Kabuto… You'll pay for this.

Kakashi: "Akia, you can't let your emotions take over. Zabuza and Haku are dead, and they don't belong in the world of the living."

I know that… But now I'm forced to see Haku die again, without me being able to do anything to save him. Worse… I'll be the one that has to put an end to him.

Zabuza: "So you're Akia, the girl who used snakes to immobilize me. You sure grew up. And Kakashi's kunoichi student as well, I see. How's the other loud kid doing? He must be pretty famous after helping you defeat us."

Kakashi: "Indeed he is. They called the bridge after him: "The Great Naruto Bridge". He also found his own path as a ninja, thanks to you two. He became an admirable ninja."

Haku: "I'm sure he'll continue to grow stronger."

This whole time, Haku and I haven't taken our eyes off each other.

Haku: "Akia… You probably are much stronger now too, aren't you?"

"I am…"

Haku: "Then I trust that you'll stop us no matter what."

"I will, even if it kills me."

Letting Kabuto have his way like this is not something that I'll just accept. Even if it means killing Haku with my own hands…

Haku: "There is so much I want to ask you… I wish we had more time."

"If we did… It'd be much harder for me to seal you."

Haku: "You're right. You've become much wiser than before."

Suddenly, I feel a strong flow of chakra filling Haku's body. It's similar to Orochimaru's chakra… and my chakra. It's Kabuto!

Zabuza: "Kakashi… Please… Stop us…"

Haku: "Akia… I'm losing control of my consciousness… Be careful… Get away!"

I get away from Haku as fast as I can. Kakashi and the other ninja who were standing close as well do the same thing. Kabuto must be scared that he might lose control over them if he let them have their consciousness. As soon as I get the chance, I'm coming after you Kabuto.

Guy: "The demon Zabuza, and an Ice-element user?"

Kakashi: "Get ready! Stay focused, Guy. Zabuza's silent killing prowess is second to none."

Haku turns his head towards me, and gives me a weak smile.

Haku: "Even if it was short… I was glad I got to see you again… Akia… Please… Stop us. I lived as Zabuza's tool, and my dream was to die for him as his tool, but… seeing him here means I've failed… Now I can't live as his tool or much less defend him."

"You did protect him, but he died because of another reason."

Kakashi: "He didn't just view you as a tool, either."

Haku turns his head in surprise to Zabuza. I guess now they'll both die again, but with less regrets.

Zabuza: "Shut up, Kakashi."

Kakashi: "Naruto… it was all because of what he said."

Zabuza: "…Heh… That was my first loss…"

I feel Kabuto's chakra coming in even stronger.

"Kakashi-sensei, Kabuto is trying to take complete control over them, this is going to get dangerous."

Zabuza: "Ugh… Smart girl… Just make sure you stay smart and stop us…"

Haku: "Aki…a…"

A small tear rolls out of Haku's left eye. I'm so sorry, Haku… This is all because of that cursed reanimation jutsu. The look in his eyes instantly changes and becomes lifeless. This is it… He's gone… All that's left is an empty shell. I won't be holding back, Haku. I finally start paying more attention to my surroundings, noticing two more reincarnated ninja. I hear a few ninja saying that one of them, named Gari, is a man from Iwagakure, with a Blast element, a Kekkei Genkai. The other, named Paku, is a woman with the Scorch element from Sunagakure. Kabuto… I will kill you with my own hands. As soon as I take care of the cruel little trick you left us. I focus my chakra, ordering as many snakes in the forest as possible to look for Kabuto, while I get ready to get rid of the reanimations.


	67. The Deal

"Kakashi-sensei, I'll be taking care of Haku. Please… Don't let anyone interfere, unless it's absolutely necessary."

I know this is a pretty big favour to ask, but I really want to be the one to put an end to his suffering. I owe at least that much to him… Besides, it'll help me put a definitive end to my past. I thought I already did, but it seems that I still have a lot of regrets regarding how I wasn't strong enough to save Haku back then.

Kakashi: "…Alright. But we will take action if we deem it necessary."

"Thank you…"

I guess Kakashi-sensei felt the desperation in my voice. He orders our division to not interfere with my fight unless he says so. I'll have to get Haku away from the others. It'll be easier to divide them, then defeat them one by one. Before I could come up with a plan to separate them, Zabuza charges at full speed towards me, his sword preparing for a full swing. I take out two kunai knives, preparing to block him, but Kakashi-sensei beats me to it and stops Zabuza's sword before it harms anyone.

Kakashi: "We'll take care of Zabuza and the rest of them. You just focus on Haku."

I nod in response. Zabuza then gets away and positions his hands and arms in a familiar jutsu sign. This is going to make things a little more complicated for some…

Zabuza: "Hidden Mist Jutsu!"

A thick mist envelops the area. I can hardly see my own hands. Normal human sight won't be able to help me here.

Kakashi: "Everyone, watch out! Be on your guard!"

Kakashi-sensei probably activated his Sharingan by now. I also have something up my sleeve. My dear snake eyes… I focus on my eyes, and they change. My sight changes as well. Now, I see the body heat of people around me. Considering the reanimations don't have any body heat, in my eyes, they look blue. By the forms and sizes, I'll be able to pinpoint which one is Haku.

There he is! He's running towards an ally! From the stance, I'm guessing it's Lee. He's on the defensive, so he probably sensed Haku coming. I'm pretty sure Lee can handle it, but I promised Haku that I would stop him. And I'll be the one to do it. I run as fast as I can to where Lee is. Before I reach him, ice mirrors start forming around him. This is getting dangerous. Haku, or more like Kabuto, is not planning on holding back. No time to waste then, I need to enter Sage Mode. It'll be much easier to break down the mirrors with my white scaled blades.

I feel a rush of natural energy emerging from within and around me. My skin turns extremely white, and my senses have a much stronger and wider range. I can practically feel every kind of energy around me. It seems like having a weakened seal on the Shinju makes it much easier and faster for me to enter Sage Mode.

Lee seems to be handling himself pretty well in there, considering his speed. I start extracting a sword from the snake in my mouth. It's much longer than it was before. It has the same length as me. The scales on the edges of the blade stand up, ready to slice whatever comes in contact with them. I feel so much more power from this sword. Is it because of the Shinju?

"You're pretty smart, aren't you?"

This throbbing pain in my head again… Why now? I don't have time for this! I try my best to suppress the Shinju, which keeps him quiet for the time being.

Alright, I'm getting you out of here, Lee.

"Lee!"

I call his name to signal my position. He notices me, and gets away from the mirror I'm aiming for, ready to charge out when I break through. I take a full swing at the ice mirror in front of me, and it shatters in pieces. Not even a second after it shatters, Lee rushes out of the mirror prison through the opening I gave him.

Lee: "Thank you, Akia!"

"No problem. Now leave Haku to me; I have a promise to keep."

Lee: "You sure you can handle it?"

"Don't worry. I will handle it."

With that, Lee nods and runs to where the other battles are being fought.

Senbon are thrown at me, which I easily deflect with my sword. Haku undoes his mirror prison, which is now useless, and comes out, facing me. I stand in position, ready for battle. I know I became much stronger than Haku, so there's no way I'd lose this.

To my surprise, instead of fighting me, Haku moves towards the other members of my squad in a very swift and silent manner. No! Kabuto knows that Haku's no match for me, so he's planning on taking out as many ninja as possible before I could even stop Haku. I can't let him take the lives of my comrades! I run after Haku, making as much noise as possible to alert his targets.

They're not reacting fast enough! Haku kills three shinobi with very precise and quick throwing of his senbon. Dammit… I was too late! I need to stop him, but I'm not as fast as he is. If he keeps escaping from me, how am I supposed to catch up?

"You can always use me."

"Is there a way for you to talk to me without making my head pound like it's being hit by a hammer?"

"Well it's much less painful than the first time, right?"

"I guess… But, why do you want to help me all of a sudden?"

"Of course it's not free service. I'm here to make a deal with you."

"A deal?"

"Yes. I'll give some of my powers at your disposition, IF you do me a favour."

"…What kind of favour? And why only some?"

"The favour will be something you owe me later, as for why not all, that is because your pretty little body won't be able to handle it."

"Why should I trust you?"

"I'll make sure you win this war, with the least casualties. Deal?"

I realize that Haku is now way out of reach. This is getting worse, and worse. I don't want to make a deal with the Shinju, but… Do I have any choice? It will definitely make me much more powerful, and the deal is not that bad. I'm just a little worried about that favour…

"Don't you want to save your comrades? Don't you want this war to end? I can help you achieve that. I'm not drawing such a bad deal, right? The least you owe would be a simple favour."

"…Fine. I'll take it. You have yourself a deal."

"Excellent."

I suddenly feel such a huge rush of power through me, making me feel so strong. A white aura is emanating from me. I sense everything that's happening on this battlefield, and on other battlefields, that are much further. I concentrate all this energy on finding and reaching Haku. Found him! He's preparing to kill another two shinobi. This time, everything feels like it's happening in slow motion. I see every single slight movement that he's doing. I run there, and in less than half a second, I cut off both Haku's arms, and shove the two shinobi away from danger. What's even more incredible, is that his arms are not regenerating.

"I'm sorry Haku… But it's the only way to stop you…"

"Hey, how come his arms are not regenerating?"

"Now it's you who's addressing me?"

I don't feel any pain from the Shinju's voice anymore…

"Well… My powers just have that effect of sealing all other energy, except for natural energy."

"That's pretty handy."

"I see you're not regretting your decision of making a deal with me."

"I feel like I'll be regretting that later…"

But for now, I need to do anything I can to protect everyone, and win this war. I need a ninja who can seal Haku away. Haku's not moving anymore… Did Kabuto just give up on him? Did he feel like there was no use to a ninja without arms? Somehow, just the thought of it makes me hate Kabuto even more. I look at Haku's eyes, which hold no life in them, and tears start forming in mine. Without thinking, I hug Haku's reanimation, and my tears flow uncontrollably.

"Haku, I'm sorry… I'm so sorry you had to go through this. I'm so sorry I had to be the one to end it, and I'm so sorry you became like this in the first place…"

The fog starts lifting away. I break away from Haku, drying off my tears before anyone could see them. I look once again at Haku's face, and notice a single trail on his left cheek of a tear that appears to have escaped from his eye. You're still in there… Don't worry Haku, we'll end your suffering. A little further away from me, I spot Maki who had just finished sealing away Pakura.

"Maki! Over here!"

She turns around, and, even though a little surprised by my appearance, comes over. She starts sealing away Haku with a cloth binding technique, using the bundle of cloth she always carried around on her back. I watch, helpless, as Haku is taken away from me once again.


	68. Imposters

I look over to Kakashi's side. He seems like he's got the upper hand on Zabuza. That's probably why the fog lifted. It is still pretty foggy, though. I guess it's the area… Haku and Pakura have been sealed, now there's Zabuza and Gari left. We can win this!

Wait… Something doesn't feel right… I look around, trying to find the source of my uneasiness. I notice just how many shinobi from our side died. Our numbers have considerably diminished… Something is about to come out of the earth! Coffins! Kabuto is reanimating more shinobi!

"This is bad…"

I won't let him summon more of them. Even if I won't be able to stop all of them, I'll stop as many as I can before they come out. I start running towards where the coffins are starting to emerge. There are six of them…

"Shadow snakes!"

White snakes come out of my left sleeve and get a hold of two of the coffins. I then force them back in and, with my right hand, use a jutsu that closed up the earth on top of them. I head for the four others, but it's too late. They start opening, and four shinobi appear from inside. If I'm not mistaken, they look like the previous Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. Only four of them were reanimated, plus Zabuza who was reanimated a while ago. I back away, in case one of them decides to attack. Even in my current form, I know better than to take four of the Seven Swordsmen at once. The fog starts getting thicker again. It looks like Kakashi-sensei wasn't able to seal Zabuza away. Zabuza joins the other four reanimations, and they prepare to attack.

I find Kakashi-sensei coming next to me.

Kakashi: "Good job on taking care of Haku, and preventing two of the reanimations to come out. Now we have to make sure we seal the others."

"Alright, let's…"

Ngh…! I feel like all my strength is fading away! Why? The Shinju…?

"Don't blame me. It's your weak body that can't handle it for long enough."

I can't… My legs are giving out…

Kakashi: "Akia!"

"I don't think… I'll be of any help…"

Everything is starting to fade away… I'm… losing consciousness…

I open my eyes, and find myself inside a tent, lying down.

"Oh, I'm glad you're awake."

I turn my head towards the voice. A medical ninja… It's only the first day, and I'm already in the medical headquarters. I straighten up.

"How long have I been out of it?"

"Only a few hours…"

He's interrupted by another medical ninja who comes in.

"You're here? I thought you were taking care of someone on… Ugh!"

What? The medical ninja that just came in… stabbed the other one? Why? I take a defensive stance. The shinobi doesn't hesitate and rushes at me, kunai in hand. I search for my own weapons, but I don't find them. They were probably put away until I recover. No time to think about that. I put all my weight on my left arm, and lift myself up, sending a flying kick straight on the side of the assaulter's face. He falls down on the ground, a little shaken. I hear footsteps coming towards the tent. I stand up, taking a defensive stance again. Sakura then comes rushing in the tent. I relax a bit, but she seems to be on her guard.

Sakura: "Akia? Is it really you?"

Her voice is a little hostile. What does she mean it's really me?

"Well I think I am really me."

She doesn't seem to lower her guard. The medical ninja that I kicked got up.

"She's lying! She murdered a medical ninja, and was about to do the same to me!"

What…?

"Now I'm confused. Why would I do that? More importantly, why did a medical ninja do that to another, and then attempted to kill me?"

Sakura starts looking suspiciously at both of us.

Sakura: "Prove to me that you're the real one."

She's addressing both of us. I sigh and put my hands up.

"If you look closely at the wound on the dead guy, it's a kunai one. But all my weapons were taken away when I was brought here."

"She took the kunai from me."

"This is getting ridiculous."

Sakura is still eyeing both of us. She looks at me.

Sakura: "If you're really Akia, what happened on our way to the war?"

"Huh? You mean when all of us girls assembled?"

Sakura relaxes a bit, and smiles at me.

Sakura: "Sorry, Akia. I'll explain everything after we deal with the imposter over there."

Sakura takes care of the medical ninja, that's apparently an imposter, and gets back to me.

"First, before we start talking, get me my weapons back. I feel really naked without them."

Sakura: "Oh yeah, come with me."

She takes me to the cabinet where all my stuff are. I take them, equip them, and sigh.

"So wait, what are you doing here? What happened to our division? And what's with the imposters?"

Sakura: "One question at a time… I'm already exhausted as it is."

"Alright, start by telling me about the imposters."

Sakura: "Well, you know White Zetsu? He's now able to infiltrate our lines, taking the same form, nature, and even chakra as one of our allies that he touches. The problem is, his transformation is so perfect that we don't know who's an imposter, and who isn't."

"Well now that explains why you suspected me."

Sakura: "Yeah, I'm really sorry about that."

"It's fine, you were just doing what any good shinobi would do. Now, about the Third Division and why you're here…"

Sakura: "They're still fighting the Swordsmen. We're at a clear advantage though, thanks to how you sealed off two of them before things got messy. Since we're a little short on medical staff, I was requested to come here."

"Well, that's a relief. Now the problem is about the White Zetsu imposters."

Sakura: "We still haven't figured out what to do…"

"This can get bad really fast…"

I could always try to find them, but I probably won't have any more luck than everyone who already tried.

"I'm still available. Your human senses can't possibly sense them out."

Ah… Dammit! It still hurts like hell when that thing talks.

"Who are you calling a thing?"

Sakura: "Akia? Are you alright?"

"Y… Yeah… Hang on…"

Sorry. What else are you? Anyway, you can help me? Is it going to knock me out like last time?

"I'll just give you enough so that you sense those pesky creatures. I doubt you'd get knocked out from that. If you do, then you're pretty hopeless."

Fine… I guess it's better than just standing around.

A white aura starts to surround me, but it's much less vibrant than before. I don't feel as strong as I was the last time, but I still feel much more powerful than my usual state.

I look at Sakura who stares at me, looking confused.

"Well, I think I can help you out like that. We can get rid of the imposters around the medical headquarters."


	69. The Southern Battle

"I think those were the last of them."

Sakura: "We're lucky we have you, Akia."

I look up at the sky, and I notice that the sun is starting to rise. We've spent all night trying to get rid of all the Zetsu clones. At least the medical headquarters are now out of danger.

Wait… What is this intense chakra? Before I could locate where it comes from, a flash of flaming yellow lands in front of Sakura and me.

Sakura: "Naruto!"

It is Naruto! But he's so different now. Much stronger. It looks like he's able to control the nine tails' chakra. That explains the flames covering his whole body. It's all chakra. It feels similar to what I had yesterday.

Naruto: "Akki-chan! Sakura-chan!"

"What are you doing here?"

Naruto: "I couldn't just sit back and let everyone put their lives at risk. Anyway, I heard there were some Zetsu imposters around here, but I don't sense them."

Sakura: "Well, you're a little late on that one. Akia got rid of them using the Shinju's power."

Naruto: "Wait, so you can control it now, Akia?"

"You could say that…"

Sakura: "You should go check some other places. I'm sure they're all over."

Naruto: "Already on it. I've scattered some shadow clones around the battlefield."

"So are you a shadow clone too?"

Naruto: "Yup!"

"Hey, what's the closest battle that's going on right now?"

Naruto: "Well, the closest one is further to the South from here."

"Alright, I guess that's where I'm heading then."

Sakura: "But, Akia! You haven't rested at all!"

"We're in a war, there's no time to rest. Staying here won't do any good. I better be of some use elsewhere."

Naruto: "I still haven't sent a shadow clone there, so at least you'll be able to fill in for me."

I nod, and leave Naruto's clone and Sakura behind. So the closest battle that's going on right now is in the southern part of Kirigakure. I have no idea which Division it is. There are probably more than one Division anyway. I wonder how Gaara's handling being commander of a whole Division. I know he has a lot of authority, but I can't help but feel a little worried.

I should pick up my pace a little. I'm starting to feel a few surges of chakra up ahead, but it'll take a while to reach at my current speed.

"Come on, Shinju. I know you can do better than that."

I hear a snort, and, immediately after, I feel a huge amount of energy filling me.

"That's more like it."

I'm much faster now, and my senses are much sharper. I can feel every individual chakra up ahead. I don't recognize most of them, anyway. Except… that one feels so familiar… no way… it's Gaara! He's fighting someone. I don't know who, though. I have to hurry.

I finally get to where the battle is taking place. Up ahead, the sand is being moved around. I higher my gaze, and I see a huge woman-like figure made of sand. Gaara must be inside that. But, why a woman? Who is that woman? Right across from him, there is a huge sealing pyramid where someone's head is sticking out. Who is he fighting? Is that… the Fourth Kazekage? Gaara's father? He looks like he's saying something. Probably to Gaara… But I'm too far to hear anything.

When I get there, the Kazekage has already been sealed, and Gaara was back on the ground. I rush to his side.

"Gaara…"

Surprised, he turns his head towards me. His eyes are kind of puffy. Did he… cry? He looks me up and down.

Gaara: "What happened to you?"

His voice sounds a little choked up. He did cry…

"That's the Shinju's chakra."

I realized that from using it so much to get here, I was now covered in a white aura-like chakra. I still sense some very powerful chakra around that belong to reanimations. Three in all. There is also a summoned creature.

"Can you give me a gist of who you're fighting?"

Gaara nods.

Gaara: "As far as we know, there's the Third Raikage, the Second Mizukage and his Giant Clam, and the Second Tsuchikage."

"That's a lot of people… What's with this mist?"

I point at the mist up ahead.

Gaara: "That's because of the Giant Clam. It prevents us from locating our enemies."

"Yeah… Now I sense it. I can sense all the chakra flows in there. I'll go take care of that Clam to get rid of this mist. It should help you guys fight properly against the rest of them."

Gaara holds my wrist, preventing me from leaving.

Gaara: "Just…Be careful."

I nod and give him a confident smile.

"Trust me. I will."

He gives my wrist a little squeeze, and then lets go.

I dash towards the mist, exactly knowing where the Giant Clam is thanks to the Shinju's chakra. If it's a summoning that I'm dealing with, then it'll only be fair with my own summoning. I bite my finger, and lay the blood on the summoning contract on my arm. I make a few jutsu signs.

"Summoning jutsu."

A poof of white smoke covers the area, and my old friend appears.

"Neiko!"

Neiko: "Well, I'm glad to see you again. I heard about the Fourth Shinobi World War and was wondering when you'll let me join in."

"Well, I guess you didn't have to wonder for too long."

I get on top of her head.

"Is it me, or do you keep getting bigger and bigger?"

Neiko: "Haha, I might be. So, what are we dealing with here? By all this mist, I think I might know who's responsible."

"You probably guessed it. It's the Giant Clam."

Neiko hisses.

Neiko: "That brainless Clam… I can't locate it in all this mist."

"Don't worry, I can sense it perfectly, I'll tell you its exact position."

I direct Neiko according to the source of the Giant Clam's chakra. That's when I sense another chakra approaching at an alarming rate. It's one of the reanimations.

"Neiko… Someone is trying to get in the way of our little expedition."

Neiko stops in her tracks.

Neiko: "Well that's a bummer. Can you take care of them?"

"I probably can."

Neiko: "Then go for it."


	70. The Southern Battle Part 2

"Neiko, go for the clam, I'll keep this one busy."

Neiko: "I need directions for that."

That's right. Neiko can't sense the Giant Clam in this fog. I should give her one of my clones.

"Mud clone jutsu."

Neiko: "Now that's better. I'll finish up on my side, and come back. You better be done too by that time."

"I'll do what I can."

Neiko then goes off to the clam, under my clones directions. I then refocus my attention towards my aggressor.

This person's chakra is linked to the Giant Clam. Then it's the Second Mizukage… Am I strong enough to handle a Kage all by myself? Even if I can't, I still have to do it. This isn't an option.

Just as I suspected, the Second Mizukage appears right in front of, swinging a kunai at me. I quickly dodge and jump back, doing a few backflips to get far as fast as I can.

Second Mizukage: "You're a quick one. Good job on dodging me. Now, can you do me a favour and seal me already? No one seems to be strong enough for that. Well, I doubt you'll be stronger than me, but it's worth a shot right? At least you were able to find the real me in this mirage."

"Let's cut the chitchat and get to it then."

The Second Mizukage chuckles, and proceeds to point his index finger at me. I feel his chakra flow concentrating on the tip of his finger. He's planning on firing something at me. Let's see just how strong it is.

"Earth Style, Mud wall."

A wall of mud forms in front of me as barrier, right when bullets of water are fired from his finger. After only two bullets, my mud wall starts to crumble. Well, now I know how strong this jutsu is. I move out of the way just as my mud wall completely crumbled.

Second Mizukage: "What's with the white aura? Feels pretty powerful."

I'm pretty sure he figured out it's some kind of tailed beast power. I won't waste my breath explaining anyway. Let's finish this as fast as possible.

I run towards him at incredible speed, due to the Shinju's chakra. I take out my sword from my mouth, and, all in one action, I swing at him. He dodges it and gets away from me. Of course it wasn't going to be that easy…

Second Mizukage: "You're pretty fast, little girl. Almost had me there."

Well, I'm not stopping there… I concentrate my chakra on the sword while pursuing him. I then swing my sword, which stretches to almost twice the original length. This will hit him for sure.

What the… It does hit him, but he… became some kind of liquid. The liquid moved away and took the Second Mizukage's form again. He can transform his body into liquid at will? That makes things much more complicated… How am I even supposed to immobilize him, let alone seal him?

Before I could figure out a plan, he makes a clone out of himself. This is definitely not a normal shadow clone. I should get rid of it while I can. I start running after it, but it keeps running away. It's getting bigger!

"Idiot girl! Get away from it!"

"What…?"

Before I could react to the Shinju's warning, I feel my body moving away at incredible speed on its own. The next moment, the clone explodes and boiling water and vapour splatters everywhere. I would've been burned alive if I was any closer… The vapour then becomes water due to the sudden drop in temperature compared to the inside of the clone.

"How… did I move away?"

"Couldn't just let you die. We have a deal."

"Wait, you can control me?"

"Only for a bit…"

"I never gave you any permission to control me!"

"You could at least thank me."

"Thank you? Who knows what you might do!"

"Enough talk, the clone is coming back!"

I look at the water coming back to form the clone once again. I won't let it explode this time… But how do I keep it from exploding? The only way is to keep it cool around him so that the water inside doesn't start boiling and end up exploding.

The fog… It's lifting! Neiko must've done it! She's coming back, I can see her silhouette approaching.

The clone is now completely restored. It's started running around to get enough heat to boil.

"Neiko!"

Neiko: "Didn't put up much of a fight I must say."

I release my clone and get the gist of what happened through it. Just like Neiko said: not much of a fight. The fog is now completely lifted. This should help the other shinobi fight more efficiently. I still have to do something about that clone before it explodes.

Neiko: "That clone is getting bigger…"

"Yeah, the more heated it becomes, the more it inflates."

Neiko: "Heat you say…"

Neiko then opens her mouth, and a freezing air comes out of it. An ice jutsu? Or is it a wind jutsu?

The clone starts getting smaller and completely freezes up before disappearing.

"How did you…?"

Neiko: "It's a mix between an ice and a wind jutsu. I'm the legendary white snake's daughter for a reason, you know."

"I'm really impressed…"

"Akia!"

A voice behind me calls. I know this warm comforting voice. The voice of the man that I love with all my heart. I turn around, and, sure enough, I see Gaara rushing to my side.

Gaara: "You got rid of the mist."

"Neiko did most of the job. We just need to seal the Second Mizukage."

Gaara: "Leave it to me, you've done enough."

"I can still fight. Besides, I've gathered enough information on him to know how to get this done."

I look at Neiko. She nods at me, showing me that she understands her role in my plan.

"Gaara, I'll need you to be there to seal him right away after we immobilize him."

Gaara: "…Alright. I'll trust you on this."

Neiko: "Watch out!"

I look just in time to see a huge water bullet jutsu heading towards both Gaara and me. According to the strength of the smaller ones, this one will completely annihilate any mud wall. Gaara then stands in front of me and his sand shield starts going up to protect us. This won't be strong enough either… The only thing would be…

"Summoning jutsu, Rashomon!"

A gigantic gate spawns in front of Gaara and I to protect us. Sure enough, the water bullet is stopped by the gate. Good thing I picked that summoning jutsu up from Orochimaru's documents. I could've summoned the Triple Rashomon, but I figured that one would be enough for a water bullet. I call back the summoning, and replay my plan in my head. First, I'll make him dodge me by becoming his liquid form. Then, Neiko will strike in that moment and freeze his water form. That will give Gaara enough time to seal him. Of course, Gaara will have to be quick, since the Second Mizukage will be on the move in his water form, which will break the ice pretty quickly, considering how strong the Second Mizukage is.

"Neiko, Gaara, I'm counting on you…"

I dash towards the Second Mizukage, sword in hand.

"Shinju… Give me a boost."

I feel an incredible wave of chakra and power go through my whole body. It's extremely painful, but I feel like I'm much stronger and faster than ever before. I swing my sword at the Second Mizukage, but he dodges it. Then, against all my expectations, my sword clones itself.

"Thought I'd give another extra boost."

The Shinju took control over me again… I don't know if I should be happy about this, but I'll take it for now. I take the other sword in my other hand, and swing both of them at the Second Mizukage. As I expected, he tries to escape by liquefying his body.

"Neiko! Now!"

Neiko does her part perfectly and freezes the Second Mizukage's water form. Before I could turn around to cue to Gaara, sand wraps around the Second's form. I smile internally at Gaara's actions. It's like he read my mind. He then safely seals the Second Mizukage.

When we go back to where the Third Raikage is. Instead of finding the Third Raikage, we find Naruto's clone smiling at us triumphantly.

"Naruto!"

Naruto: "Hey, Akki-chan! Did you think you were the only one who could get things done around here?"

He grins at me.

"So you took care of the Third Raikage."

Naruto: "Yup! We totally won this battle!"

"That's grea…!"

My head starts throbbing unbearably. My heart starts pounding, and I feel my whole body going limp. That was bound to happen… After all the chakra I used from the Shinju… The last thing I hear is Naruto and Gaara calling my name, before I completely blacked out.


	71. Sensei

My head… It's pounding so much… Like a really bad migraine… Everything is black around me. I can't see anything. Am I dreaming? I hear some distant voices. They sound so far away… I can't seem to recognize any of them. Are my eyes closed? Is that why I can't see anything? They feel so heavy. I don't think I can even open them if I tried. And honestly, I don't even want to try. Every movement feels like it'll just makes my headache worse. What happened anyway? I remember taking on the reanimation of the Mizukage… Then, Gaara was able to seal him… Then… nothing. Did I pass out? Probably. I should get up… We're still in the middle of a war. But I… can't. It's too painful to even think of trying.

"Get up! You still haven't fulfilled your part of the bargain. I won't just let you sleep through the whole war."

As if on the Shinju's cue, my whole body starts getting a lot of energy back, enough to get me back up on its own. All the pain is gone… The Shinju is controlling me again isn't he. I finally open my eyes, having regained control over my body. I'm in a tent. Judging by the light outside, it's late in the afternoon. The sun is setting. I look around, and find that all my belongings are stacked up neatly next to my bedding. I wonder… How long have I been out of it? Wait… Where's Gaara? Is he alright?

At this thought, I get up and take my stuff in a hurry. I then get out of the tent. I take a good look around and find several other tents. I recognize a lot of ninja that are from Gaara's division, but… where's Gaara?! All of the ninja around here are injured severely or on the verge of dying.

I stop one of the shinobi who seem to be a medical ninja.

"What happened? Who brought me here?"

"You're awake! I thought you'd be out of it for at least ten hours!"

"Just answer the question!"

"Uh, well, it was Naruto. I think it was one of his clones, actually."

"Wait, so Gaara isn't around?"

"According to the latest report, he's still at the location of the battle you fought in. In fact, all five Kage are there."

"All five? Why? What happened there?"

I'm starting to get really worried. What situation would require all five Kage to be at the same place, at the same time?

"Well, I think Madara has been reanimated. They're fighting against him right now. That's what Naruto said when he brought you back. Apparently, he's also battling against the tailed beasts on his end."

What? How could all this happen while I was out? This escalated way too quickly! I need to go help. But who do I help? Naruto or Gaara?

"Which battle is closest to here?"

"The Five Kage are battling not too far from here. It should take you thirty minutes to get there at a normal pace."

"Alright, thanks for the info. I'll get going now."

I just hope I'm not too late! It should take me way less than thirty minutes with the Shinju's chakra.

I leave as fast as I can, and start heading towards Gaara's chakra. He seems to be doing fine. His chakra is riled up though, meaning he's in the middle of battle. I also sense all the five Kage's chakra. And another… very strong chakra. That must be Madara!

Wait… What's this chakra? It's not coming from the battle. It's coming from a very different direction. It's… Anko-sensei! And… Sasuke? I have to check this out… Gaara will be fine. All the Kage are there, so they shouldn't be needing my help for this. But, Anko-sensei… She's all alone there. I have to go get her. Her chakra is so faint. It's almost completely gone.

I change directions and head for where I sense Anko-sensei's chakra. There are two more people in there other than Sasuke and Anko-sensei. This could become a problem.

I finally find myself in front of a cave. I get in, and head deeper. I finally find a heated battle happening between Sasuke, and… Kabuto! Itachi's reanimation is also there. Isn't Sasuke supposed to be on Kabuto's side? Why is he attacking him all of a sudden?

I look around, while keeping myself hidden, and I find Anko-sensei lying on ground, motionless, on the other side of the cave.

I'll have to get through the battle that's going on to get to Anko-sensei. I would join in myself, but there are more important things to handle at the moment.

To be able to blend in with my surroundings, I need to be in Sage Mode. I concentrate my chakra and absorb the natural energy around me. As soon as I enter Sage Mode, I feel like I'm completely in tune with the Shinju. It's like I can use his chakra without it affecting me negatively. Considering the Shinju is natural energy in itself, I'm not surprised. I wish I thought of that earlier though.

I then start infiltrating the ground of the cave, just like I did with the tree. Since it's nature in its pure form, I can easily slide through it. I get to the other side, undetected, and I finally emerge next to Anko-sensei. By that time, Kabuto has been trapped in Itachi's jutsu. Sasuke then notices my movement, and throws a kunai at me. I deflect it with my own.

Sasuke: "Who's there?"

"Akia."

Sasuke: "Akia…? How did you get in here?"

"It doesn't matter. I have no business with you. I'm here for Anko-sensei."

Sasuke: "Hm. Suit yourself."

Sasuke then turns around and leaves. I guess he also has things to attend to.

"Alright, Anko-sensei. I'm taking you with me."

Since I know nothing of medical jutsu, I'll just have to take her back to the camp I was at. Gaara… I hope you're alright.


	72. Return of the Snake

Medical Nin: "Don't worry. Anko is in good hands here."

"Alright, I'll be going then. Take good care of her."

With that, I leave Anko with the medical ninja. I head as fast as I can towards the place where I sense Gaara and the other Kage's chakra. It's so faint. Why is it so weak? Their chakra was raging a few moments ago! Gaara, you better be safe. Please be safe…

Why do I still sense Madara's chakra? Isn't he supposed to be gone since Kabuto has been defeated? The jutsu should've been released! I did sense a lot of shinobi disappear, so I know for sure that the jutsu was released. Did Madara do something to release himself from the restraints of the jutsu? I have to hurry. It seems like Madara's moving away from the five Kage. It would be a good thing, but this time it probably isn't. It means that they're unable to chase after him. Which means that they are all badly hurt. That would explain the drop in chakra activity.

It's already nightfall. I feel like I'm getting closer. The further I go, the more the destruction from the previous battle shows. The ground itself seems to have given out. Just how strong is Madara…

Finally there…

"!"

What? What is all this? The five Kage are all on the ground, in extremely critical condition. Lady Tsunade is cut in half! She looks… old? Katsuyu is the only thing keeping them alive. Where's Gaara? Where is he…?

"Gaara!"

I rush to him as soon as I spot him. The ground is so irregular and destroyed here, as if giant boulders crushed it down. All five Kage are under a bunch of rubble from the destruction.

"Gaara! Hang in there! I'll… I'll help you…! I'll do something!"

But I don't even know what to do! He doesn't even seem like he could hear me. I have no knowledge when it comes to medical ninjutsu… Just when I thought that I had finally become strong, I still realize that I can't do anything. If I… if I lose Gaara because of this… I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive myself.

"Katsuyu, how's their condition? How long can you keep them alive?"

Katsuyu: "Oh my, that is hard to say. They are badly wounded and I am almost out of chakra. If I could just heal Lady Tsunade up enough so that she can take care of the rest of the Kage…"

"Do you need chakra? I can lend you mine!"

Katsuyu: "Give it to Lady Tsunade; she'll be able to heal herself up that way."

"Alright… I'll try."

This shouldn't be too hard. Since I got the Sage jutsu, I'm able to see and control chakra flows pretty well. I'll just infuse Lady Tsunade with my chakra like I first did with Gaara when he was losing his control on the Shukaku. I hold Lady Tsunade's hand and focus my chakra flow to connect with hers. Her flow is so weak. If I rush my own chakra to connect, she might not be able to withstand it. I'll have to go slowly and steadily.

"Lady Tsunade… It's me, Akia. I'll do my best to help. Just bear with me for a bit."

Okay, focus. I need to give it to her little by little. No rushing, no stressing. I close my eyes and hold Lady Tsunade's hand tightly. I feel my chakra being transferred to her. I'm sure she'll be alright soon. I just need to keep going like that.

I don't know for how long I've been going, but I feel Lady Tsunade slowly regaining her strength back.

Lady Tsunade: "A… Akia…"

I open my eyes and look at her with a reassuring smile.

"Hang in there. I'll get you back in shape in no time."

She manages a very small and tired smile on her wrinkled face.

Katsuyu: "Orochimaru!"

What? Orochimaru? What is Katsuyu going on about? I turn my head in the direction where she's looking and…

"What…? But… You're dead!"

He's standing there with three other ninja. I don't even pay attention to who they are. The thing I want to know is the reason why he's here. He's supposed to be dead! Did Sasuke lie to me about killing him? No… Why would he?

Orochimaru: "No time to explain right now. We have to take care of Tsunade."

Wait, since when does he care? He gets closer to us. I won't let him! Who knows what trick he might be trying to pull? I can't let go of Lady Tsunade's hand though. It's what's keeping her going! What do I do?

"Stay back!"

He doesn't stop.

Orochimaru: "Just let me help. It'll go much faster. Don't you want to save the Kazekage?"

"How did you…?"

He ignores me and turns to the red-headed with glasses.

Orochimaru: "Karin, give Tsunade your arm."

Karin: "But…! Only Sasuke can bite me!"

Orochimaru: "Just do it."

Sasuke? She knows him then. And it seems like she might be close to him. Just as Orochimaru told her, she went up to Lady Tsunade and placed her arm in front of her.

Lady Tsunade: "I… never thought I'd be saved… by you of all people."

Orochimaru: "We'll have time to talk after. Just bite the girl's arm."

Lady Tsunade bit her arm and Karin lets out a little moan of pain. I feel Lady Tsunade's chakra rapidly increasing, she starts to look younger again, and her injuries start recovering. That girl Karin has some impressive ability. I let go of Lady Tsunade's hand and Katsuyu reattaches her lower half to her upper half. Soon, Lady Tsunade is able to start standing back up on her feet.

Lady Tsunade: "Thanks for the help. I'll go take care of the rest."

Orochimaru then comes up to me. I take a step back.

Orochimaru: "No need to be so jumpy around your old man."

"I have every reason to get away from you. I should even kill you right now."

Orochimaru: "Do you resent me that much?"

"I…"

I'd be lying if I said I didn't, but I still couldn't bring myself to say that I hated me. He did indirectly save my life a few times because of all the experiments he did. He even saved me from his own trusted assistant by not telling him all the strengths he gave me. Orochimaru was a bad father, but he took care of me in his own way.

Orochimaru: "I see Kabuto took the curse mark from you, as I expected he would."

I touch my neck at the place where the curse mark used to be.

"Why are you here?"

Orochimaru: "Sasuke revived me to get some answers. He wanted to decide whether he was going to help Konoha or destroy it."

"And what did he…?"

Orochimaru: "He's on his way to where Naruto is. He's decided to aim to become the next Hokage."

Well that's a huge change.

"And why are you helping?"

Orochimaru: "I'm interested to see where his ambition will go. Kabuto's ambition got him nowhere, while mine got me killed. Maybe the path that Sasuke has chosen will give him a different outcome. I told him I'll support him in any decision he takes."

He also changed. I guess a trip to the underworld is bound to beat some sense into someone's head. Do I trust him? No. I don't think it'll be that easy to trust him. It'll take a lot of time. Am I willing to spend time on that? Maybe… He is my father, the only family I have. I've never properly had a conversation with him before.

"Akia…"

That voice…

"Gaara!"

I turn towards the voice and find Gaara getting up from the ground with Lady Tsunade helping him. I run towards him and hug him.

Gaara: "Ow…! Slow down a bit, I'm still recovering."

Even though he says that, he still puts his arms around me and hugs me even more tightly.

Orochimaru: "So you're the man that stole my daughter's heart away."

Orochimaru laughs teasingly. He's teasing me now? Since when are we that close? Not that I hate it… It's just that I don't know how to react. We both let go of each other. Gaara tenses up a little.

"It's okay, Gaara. Without him, I don't know if any of you would've made it through this."

Orochimaru: "Take good care of her now."

Orochimaru then turns around and goes to Lady Tsunade.

"Gaara, I think Naruto is in trouble. I felt Madara's chakra moving towards him. I'm going to go help."

Gaara: "You're not going alone. I'm coming with you."

"But you just…"

Gaara: "I'm coming and that's final. From now on, I won't let you out of my sight."

I blush at his words. Since the beginning of this war, it's the first time that I actually feel safe again. We'll do this together.


	73. The Ten Tailed Beast

Ahead of us is a giant creature with a giant Rinnengan eye. This is…

"My third form. The time to honour your deal is approaching. Once I reach my tree form, I will ask for you to fulfill your part."

I bring my hand to my forehead. It's still painful to hear that thing talk… Third form already? How many forms does this thing have?

Gaara: "Are you alright?"

Gaara puts a hand on my head. He caresses it gently. This brings a smile to my face. It also soothes the pain, to my surprise.

"Yeah… Hey, Gaara, is this the fastest you can go?"

Gaara: "Yes, unfortunately."

I have a bad feeling about taking too long here.

"I'm going to go on ahead. The battle won't wait for us."

Gaara: "Akia…!"

Before Gaara could stop me, I was already rushing to the battlefield. I start hearing a buzzing in my head. Headquarters are trying to contact me? No… The closer I got to where the most shinobi were located, the clearer the voice became. Headquarters was contacting the whole parameter there.

I recognize that voice… It's Shikaku, Shikamaru's father! Before I could make out anything of what he was trying to say, the voice cut off.

I hurry to where everyone is and join up with Shikamaru to ask him about what happened. I see Ino crying and Shikamaru is looking pretty depressed too. Don't tell me…

"Shikamaru!"

Shikamaru looks at me, surprised to see me there.

Shikamaru: "Akia? Glad you're here."

"What happened to Headquarters?"

Shikamaru lowers his gaze.

Shikamaru: "That beast destroyed everything. Nothing's left of it."

No way…

Shikamaru: "But this is no time to let our emotions get the best of us. My old man thought of a last minute plan and we will follow it."

Shikamaru asks Ino to relay his thoughts to everyone on the battlefield, now taking his father's place as the strategist of the War. I go to the position he assigned me, at the front of the troop along with all close-ranged and mid-ranged battlers. I follow Neji who is also heading the same way. I spot Naruto up ahead. It seems like he's out of chakra! He's on his knees from exhaustion. The ten tailed beast is taking advantage of the situation to attack! Needle like wood shoots from its finger and heads straight for where Naruto is. Immediately, Hinata stands in front of him to protect him. This is bad! I have to shield them somehow! Neji reaches there first and stands in front of them. If those things aren't stopped, he'll die!

Chakra rushes through all my body, and, in an instant, I'm standing in front of Neji with my arms up, protecting me. They start getting covered in wood which keeps growing rapidly. The oversized toothpicks penetrate the wood surrounding my arms, but they're stopped without even touching my skin. The Ten Tails looks at me. Is it about to attack again?

Neji: "Akia!"

"You three, get out of here!"

Naruto: "I'm not leaving you alone, Akki-chan."

"Naruto, you're a vital part to this war. I can hold them off until you recover."

Naruto: "But…"

"Just go!"

Naruto doesn't say anything after that, probably surprised by the authority in my voice.

Hinata: "Be careful, Akia."

She then helps Naruto up and they leave with Neji tailing them.

"What a little pest."

Whose voice is that? It's coming from on top of the Ten Tails. I look up and see… Madara! There's also someone else standing next to him. It feels like I've seen him before… He's also part of the Akatsuki. This swirly pattern on his face… It reminds me of something. That's right! That guy that was with Deidara! I'm sure of it! He has the same chakra. The two of are attached to the Ten Tails. They're the ones controlling it!

Madara: "You're the one who allowed her father to take advantage of the Akatsuki, Obito."

Obito: "Well it's time to correct my mistakes."

"You're no match for this, get out of here."

"I know I'm no match, but I can hold them off for a bit."

"I won't allow you to die before you do what I want you to do."

Wait! No! I have no control over my body! I feel myself getting away in an extremely short amount of time. I'm going way too far! Stop!

"From now on, you're under my control. You will not do anything rash until I reach my final form. I will keep you away from everything and keep you safe."

No… This can't be happening! Right when it's vital for me to be there for my comrades! If I wasn't there, Neji would've been killed! If I'm not there now… I need to go back! I will go back!

I feel my head throbbing like crazy. It's like it's splitting in half.

"Aaaah!"

"Stop resisting! It won't be so painful if you stopped!"

"I… won't… leave my comrade behind!"

I let out an unearthly scream. This is way too painful, but I have to go back to help everyone.

"You're going to kill yourself, you idiot! Fine! Have it your way!"

I feel myself regaining control of my body. My headache disappears almost instantly. I turn around as fast as I can and head for the location of the battlefield. I see everyone being covered in a red aura. It's Naruto's red chakra cloak! He recovered pretty fast. I focus on the Shinju's chakra and I get covered in a white cloak of chakra. This automatically makes me enter Sage Mode. I stand next to shinobi who are fighting off smaller versions, clones, of the Ten Tails. I take out my sword, now covered in white scales. It's time to take a more active role in this war. I swing my sword with more precision than ever and manage to take down three clones.

"This will take forever…"

I have to think of something else. Fight numbers with numbers. I get low and the ground, preparing for my next attack.

"Many Hidden Shadow Snakes."

My mouth stretches beyond normal human proportions and hundreds of white snakes shoot out of it. They in turn open their mouth and blades covered in white scales similar to my sword stick out of them. This takes out most of the clones in the area. The snakes then come back inside me.

Kiba: "Way to go, Akia!"

"Kiba…!"

He was standing next to me the whole time! I didn't even notice… I have to get closer to the Ten Tails. I can see Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura over there. I have to help them. As I get closer, I notice that they are fighting Obito. Something doesn't seem right about him… There something connecting him to the Ten Tails… It's as if…

"He's absorbing the Ten Tails into his body!"

"What…?!"


	74. Execution

"This is it, you're mine now."

I then feel myself lose control of my whole body. No! Wait! I don't even know what the deal is!

"What good will it do you anyway? I'm still going to make you go through with it. But, if you insist, I will keep you alive until that Jinchuuriki summons my tree form. Then, I will attach you to that tree and you will protect it with everything you have. The details will sort out themselves later."

…Protect… the enemy? That's insane! This just basically pits me against the Allied nations! How could I ever do something like that?

"You've really got no choice in the matter."

I feel myself moving away from the battle scene. No! I have to help my comrades! I can't be just pitted against them! Someone…! Gaara! Help me, please!

After a while of running around, trying to avoid everything, Obito finally summons the tree. The tree is the most gigantic thing I've ever seen. It has four flowers that haven't bloomed yet. Those flowers seem to be charging up on something…

"This is it. Before those flowers unleash the Tailed Beast Balls, I'll get you in there. You will fight everyone who gets close to the tree, no matter if they're your allies or your enemies. I will use you to unleash my full power."

My body moves at an incredible speed towards the tree. I feel every muscle scream in pain against such inhumane abilities. The Shinju really did mean it when he said that I'll protect the tree with everything I have.

When I reach the tree, one of its branches pierces through my back and melds into my. It's so painful, but I can't even react or scream. I feel my face having an emotionless mask on it. I can see Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke, looking at me in disbelief.

Naruto: "Akia! Get out of there!"

Naruto! I wish I could! Please, Naruto, stop me!

None of my despair or emotions are being conveyed.

Sasuke: "Something's wrong… She doesn't seem like she's behaving normally."

Sasuke… I'm just glad I got to see you on the right side after all this time. I wish I could tell you that. At least I know you won't hesitate to take me down.

Sakura: "Akia…!"

Without being able to react, I feel something build up inside of me. Something huge… My head snaps back and I see a Bijuudama, a Tailed Beast Ball, forming above me. The Bijuudama that is being formed by me and by the flowers are then fired at the shinobi that are trapped in a barrier created by Obito. No! I don't want to be responsible for everyone's death. I don't want anyone to die! No matter how much I fight it, I'm still completely under the Shinju's control. I feel so helpless… How would I ever be able to face my comrades after all this. They will have to kill me to be able to win this, since if they attack the tree, I'll stand in their way. It really seems like I won't be able to keep that promise, Gaara… I'm sorry… It was my own foolishness that brought this upon everyone. The bombs are fired. After the smoke and fire dissipates, I see no one. Nobody's there. Were they all… exterminated? No… How could this have happened! I move my pupils around, trying to see if anyone made it out. Beyond the barrier, I see the whole army there. They're… They're all safe! The wave of joy and relief that washes over me soothes the pain and tension that the jutsu I just performed put on me.

Obito then undoes the barrier. The Shinobi alliance then charges forward towards the tree. No! Stay away! I feel more chakra welling up inside me and my mouth opens on its own. Branches then come out of my mouth instead of the usual snakes and stretch it so much that it actually starts being agonizing. I see the branches take hold of the closer shinobi who are then sucked dry of their chakra.

This is horrible! Please, don't do this! I feel hot tears fall on my emotionless face. The Shinju has completely stopped sounding even remotely human. All I hear is its unearthly roaring inside of me as I watch my comrades fall by my own hands.

Why aren't I attacking Obito? Isn't he really close to the tree? Is it because he's got the Shinju inside him as well? I don't know anymore. I just want this nightmare to be over. All I want is to live happy with Gaara. But that's… That'll never happen… The best outcome of this is for them to kill me, to stop me. More tears roll down my cheeks. How long has it been since I last cried? I remember… It was when I thought I lost Gaara. Will he feel that same agony I felt when I'm gone? I don't want him to go through so much pain.

A battle between Obito, Sasuke, and Naruto ensues in front of me. It seems like Obito has been finally overwhelmed by the two. That's a relief. The shinobi also stopped getting any closer to the tree. At least, I won't have to kill any more people.

Madara then extracts the Demonic Statue that was used to absorb the Bijuu from the Jinchuuriki. He's planning to use that against Naruto and Killer B! I watch as he restrains them in the statue's chains and begins pulling their Bijuu out. All the Tailed beasts then start coming out of Naruto. I then see sand forming giant hands and trying to hold the chain that is dragging the Shukaku.

Gaara! I can't let him see me like this… If he did, I don't know what he'll do. Madara then tries to hit Gaara, but the Shukaku deflects the attack. However, Madara launches another one that causes Gaara to lose control over his sand and results in the Shukaku being completely dragged into the statue. This also happens to all the Bijuu. Sasuke, on the other hand, has been stabbed by Madara.

Naruto will die! The Kyuubi has been extracted from him! Everything is just going haywire! Sasuke is on the verge of dying as well… Why is all this happening? And Gaara… at least he still doesn't notice I'm here. There are more important things to do, like helping Naruto and Sasuke.

From where I am, all I can do is look upon the battlefield while I attack indiscriminately anyone who comes near. It would've been better if I was never here to begin with…


	75. The Most Important Person

Nightmare… that's the only explanation… it must be a nightmare. This is way too horrible to be real. But, if it is a nightmare, it shouldn't hurt so much. I want this to end… I… I don't know what to do. All hope for me is gone. Naruto and Sasuke are both on the verge of dying. So many shinobi died on this battlefield already. This war… it's completely out of my league. I just want to get away from here, to run away. I don't even mind if I die at this point. It'll be better than this. I close my eyes and feel hot tears fall along my cheeks. Is the only way for me to just… give up? To die here, as an enemy of the people I care about…? My chest starts shaking from all the sadness and despair that I feel. I start loudly sobbing, even though all that is heard is muffling considering my mouth is completely filled with thick branches. I've never cried so much in my life. My nose is even running from all crying. The last time that happened was when I almost lost Gaara, when I actually did lose him for a bit. Gaara… I just want him to be here. I want him to hold me, to tell me that everything will be okay. I just want Gaara… Gaara… I'm so tired and in pain… I want you to hug me, to kiss me, to caress me with your gentle hands. I need you… I… I… please… I'm scared… I feel so alone…

"…ia!"

Huh? Who…?

"A…ia!"

This distant voice, it has to be… My eyes are just so filled with tears that it's all blurry. But I know that voice.

"Akia! Hang in there!"

Gaara! Gaara you're here! I sob even more as I hear his voice more clearly.

Gaara: "Don't worry, I'll get you out of there!"

His voice is shaking… I've never heard him so distressed before. It's heartbreaking. Gaara, don't sound so sad…

Gaara: "I'm coming, Akia!"

No! Don't come here, Gaara! I don't want to hurt you! I can't even say anything to tell him to get away! All I can manage is frustrated muffling! I can't let anything happen to Gaara!

Naruto: "Gaara!"

Naruto! Please stop him…

Gaara: "Let go of me! I have to save her!"

He sounds like he's on the verge of crying… I'm so sorry, Gaara. It's my fault that you're in pain…

Naruto: "Stop, and think! Do you think Akia would be happy if she saw you dying in front of her eyes while she was unable to do anything?"

Gaara: "I… I can't just leave her…!"

Naruto: "We won't leave her, we will save her. Trust me."

It feels like he's not just addressing Gaara, but that he is also saying that to me too. That's right. Hold him back. I trust you Naruto. I'll use whatever chakra I have left to help out.

Sasuke: "Naruto! Madara is on the offensive, let's go!"

Naruto: "…What about Akia?"

Sasuke: "Akia… We'll save her as soon as we slow Madara down a little."

Naruto: "Alright, let's go. Wait for me, Gaara."

I feel Naruto and Sasuke leave.

Gaara: "…I'm sorry… but I can't just sit back and watch you deal with so much pain!"

No…! Stop it Gaara! The branches…! They're moving! I have to stop them! I don't know how! My mouth is completely full of them, and my hands are tied away from each other! I can't do any jutsu… except… Shadow snakes…! The ones from my arms might be able to hold the branches back!

I feel the snakes creeping out of my sleeves and holding onto the branches that are coming out of my mouth. For a second, it slows it down, but their grip loosens and it goes at full speed again. What can I do? What can I do?

The mouth…! That's it! I'll get them at their root! I'll summon shadow snakes from my mouth that'll hold the branches back from the base! But there's one problem, my jaw is already dislocated and my mouth is stretched to its limit. I don't care… Even if my whole face rips, I will not let anything harm Gaara.

I use all that's left of my chakra to summon as many snakes from my mouth as I can. At first, they're all stuck inside my mouth, but I force them to come out. I hear a sickening tear, and feel excruciating pain take hold of my body like a raging fire.

My… My mouth…! I want to shout and cry in pain, but I can't…! I… can't stop now! I scream inwardly as I force the snakes to hold the branches back with all their might. The branches stop moving. At the same time, I hear Naruto and Sasuke's fight with Madara getting closer.

Sasuke: "Haaaaaa!"

I hear a sword slicing through the air behind me and cutting off the branches that were connecting me to the Shinju. Instead of feeling relief, I feel as though all of my chakra was sucked out. The branches in my mouth wither and crumble. I feel my jaw is hanging, as well as all of the skin, muscle, and everything that is below my upper lip. I feel blood streaming from my back from where the branches pierced me. I must be an awful sight. I feel myself falling, but not for long. Sand slows my fall and strong shaking arms catch me gently. My tears all dried up left me with sticky eyelids. I see Gaara's face, covered in his own tears. I want to wipe them for him, but I have no strength left. The Shinju's been taken out of my body… I feel myself fading away… I can't even say anything to Gaara, after yearning so much to be in his arms… At least, I'll die knowing that I won't cause anymore people to die.

Gaara: "Akia! No, please! Stay with me!"

Gaara… your cracked a little… You sound so choked up… I'm sorry… I couldn't keep our promise. My eyes fill up with tears again and Gaara's face gets blurry. He's crying so much… It hurts to see him like that… It hurts even more than all of the physical pain. I feel his hand under my dislocated jaw. He gives it a a small push and puts it back in place. I would normally be the one doing that, since I always dislocate my jaw when I use shadow snakes, but I just don't have anymore strength. My vision is turning black.

"Out of the way!"

I hear a distant voice. I don't even care to know who it is or why they're shouting. I feel Gaara's arms leaving me and another pair of arms hold me. They are colder, and are not shaking as much. I still spot a little shakiness, though. I reopen my eyes, and see the last person I expected. My father… Orochimaru. Why did he take me away from Gaara?

He quickly lowers his head to my neck, and I feel a pair of fangs bite me. A curse mark…?

Gaara: "What are you…?"

Orochimaru: "I'm giving her the chakra she lost."

This curse mark doesn't hurt as much as the last one. Is it because I'm used to it now?

Gaara: "You mean… She'll be alright?"

Orochimaru: "Yes. Her chakra nature is the same as mine. A curse mark is basically infusing her with a dose of my sage chakra. She'll be fine if we can just stop all this blood. Karin!"

I feel some of my energy coming back, but that just accentuates the physical pain that was numbed by me being closer to death. I see an arm presented in front of me.

Orochimaru: "Come on, Akia. Bite it, you'll be all better."

His voice actually sounds gentle… For the first time… I don't hate my father. I actually feel like I can forgive, or at least start.

Karin puts her arm close to my mouth, but I just can't move my mouth or jaw at all.

Orochimaru: "This isn't good… Her mouth suffered too much damage, she can't even move it. Her back has deep holes… She's almost out of blood."

"Let me handle this."

I see a bright figure land right in front of Orochimaru, on my other side. Naruto…

Naruto: "It'll be alright, Akia."

He puts his hand on my chest and I feel a ball of energy and warmth fill me.

Gaara: "Her wounds…! They're closing up completely."

Naruto: "She should be alright if she doesn't move for a bit."

Naruto then leaves and I feel my skin mending back together. I feel warm and the pain subsides.

Orochimaru: "Amazing. We would've lost her without that kid. He's grown. Alright, I'll leave her in your care, Kazekage."

Orochimaru hands me to Gaara.

Gaara: "Thank you. Without you, I would've lost the most important person in my life."

Orochimaru: "No need to thank me... She's not the most important person in your life only. Take good care of her, in the way that I never could."

Father… I'm sorry… I've hated you for so long. Even though your ways were wrong, your intention was to always protect me. Thank you.


	76. Real Happiness?

Gaara carries me as far away from the battlefield as he can.

"It's alright, Gaara… We can't both leave the battlefield. They need us there…"

Gaara: "Don't talk too much, Akia… From now on, I won't ever leave your side. I'll protect you."

I feel so safe, now… Being in Gaara's arms is so comforting.

"I was so scared…"

Gaara squeezes my body closer to his.

Gaara: "I know… I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when you needed me the most…"

Gaara's voice is shaking again.

"If you weren't there, who knows where I'd be. Thank you, Gaara, for saving me."

Gaara then stops in his tracks. He then looks at me and lowers his head towards mine. I then feel a pair of warm lips resting on mine. The softness of his quivering lips makes my head feel light. my whole body warms up and my heart starts beating fast. It's as if I'm feeling alive again. Gaara then breaks the kiss and rests his forehead on my, looking me in the eyes. Such loving and caring eyes… It's making me forget all the previous horrors I went through. I can't help but smile, from the immense joy that I'm feeling. I love him so much…

We're now at a safe distance from the fights. Gaara then sits down and keeps me in his arms.

Gaara: "I wish we had a tent or something, but everything was wiped out…"

"I'm happy like this."

I sit up more straight, feeling my energy slowly returning.

Suddenly, a bright light envelops us. We both look towards the source of it all, and find Madara floating in the air, staring at the moon.

"What's happening…?!"

Gaara: "No… It's the Infinite Tsukuyomi!"

Gaara hugs me tightly and I cling to his shirt. The blinding light then clouds my mind and I feel my consciousness fading.

When I wake up, I find myself in a bed. Wait… It's my bed? I'm home? But… the war? All of my wounds are gone.

"Akia! Are you awake yet?"

That voice… No, it can't be… I hear footsteps getting closer to my room door. When the person opens it on the other side, I can only stare, speechless.

"What's wrong, Akia? Are you still dreaming?"

"…Mom…?"

Shiroko: "Is everything alright, darling? Was your last mission that tough?"

"How are you… I thought you were…"

I can't even formulate full sentences. I'm so in shock, but I'm so glad at the same time. I know for a fact that mom died, but… Seeing her here like that makes me not want to face that she's gone. It makes me want to believe that she's here.

Shiroko: "You thought I was what, honey? Do you want me to get you something to eat, is that what?"

I shake my head. I get up from bed and stand there. I want to run to my mom and hug her, but… I know this is not real. My mind is starting to focus. This is a trick. I'm sure it is.

"I'm going to change and go out for a bit."

Shiroko: "What? But your dad is going to be back soon!"

"Dad…?"

Orochimaru? Maybe he'll know something! I guess I'll wait then…

Just as I was thinking that, I hear the front door opening.

Shiroko: "Looks like he's here!"

Mom looks awfully excited… She runs out of my room and I follow her. What I see there, leaved me even more speechless than when I saw my mom alive. There, at the front door, a man, who looks like Orochimaru is standing. However, his hair is shorter and he's wearing a suit… He does not look remotely like a ninja. This is not a shinobi who's back from work, this is a businessman who's back from work. What's even weirder is that he looks like an extremely gentle person. Mom hugs him and they… kiss?! This is the first time I've actually seen them perform any acts of love towards each other… This… is not normal… This is not my family. I need to get out of here.

Orochimaru: "Akia, how are you missions going? Not too dangerous, I hope?"

"Th-They're fine… I need to go."

Shiroko: "Young lady! You will eat here with your family, since we're all home at the same time, for once!"

"You're not…"

No I shouldn't… If I confront them now, they might keep me from figuring out where I really am. I'll just play along with things and keep a low profile for now.

"It's just that I promised someone I'd meet up with them today…"

Shiroko: "Oh, is it that Kiba boy? He's always been really fond of you."

"Kiba's here? Where is he?"

My "parents" both look at me like I fell on my head or something.

Shiroko: "Since when do you ever want to see that boy? I thought you had something going on with the Kazekage."

"Gaara…?! You mean Gaara?!"

Orochimaru: "Y-Yes, dear. Did you get hit in the head in your past mission?"

I don't have time for this!

"Where's Gaara right now?"

Shiroko: "W-Well, how should we know? Settle down, Akia. You're acting really strangely."

It doesn't seem like I'll be getting anything out of them… I really should just go.

"I'm leaving."

Shiroko: "…Alright, just don't bring any more snakes in the house, you know how scared your father is of them."

I hurry up and leave before I go completely insane. Orochimaru… scared of snakes…? Where am I?!

I walk in the streets of Konoha. It seems like everything is intact. The village actually seems to be striving. I should first go see the Tsunade-sama. I arrive at the Hokage office and go in, since the door was open.

"Lady Tsu…"

When I enter, I find Naruto sitting in the chair.

"Naruto…?!"

Naruto: "Akki-chan, what brings you here?"

He sounds so calm and collected. Something is still off about him too… Is everyone in this world a fake? Maybe this whole world is a fake! But, since he's the Hokage now, he should be able to answer some of my questions.

"Um… I just wanted to ask you if you knew where Gaara was."

Naruto: "Gaara…? Shouldn't you be the best one to know? Well, I guess not. He's actually on his way here. He said he had some important business he had to take care of. So, you'll probably see him tomorrow or something."

"Alright, thanks…"

When I turn around to leave, I find Hinata coming in. She looks a lot more confident than the Hinata I know.

Hinata: "Oh, hi Akia. Sorry, I need to talk to Naruto."

She then walks past me and puts her hands on her hips.

Hinata: "Until when are you going to overwork yourself like that? When are you going to finally spend some time with me? You keep cancelling all our dates lately…"

I hurry up and leave the scene before I witness anything too personal. Those two are definitely not the Naruto and Hinata that I know… Is Gaara going to also be different…? Should I really wait for him to come? Well, while I'm here, I might as well try to gather as much information as I can until I see him tomorrow. I should dispatch a few snakes everywhere to be my eyes. As for me, I'll go check the library and the archives, maybe even the confidential documents if I have to.

After a whole day of trying to find info about this place, the only thing I gather is that everyone here is based on the people I know, but they're still different in some way. I am definitely in Konoha, but not the Konoha I know. Apparently, the war was a year ago. All the nations are now at peace and alliances keep forming everywhere with bigger and smaller villages. This is what everyone was hoping for, but… It still feels off.

From what I observed through my snakes, all the girls are with the person they like, the ones they told me about. Tenten and Neji are together, Sai is with Ino, Sakura is living with Sasuke, and Temari and Shikamaru are apparently engaged. Everything seems to be going way too smoothly. How is that even possible…? I guess I should go back to my "home". I wouldn't want to raise too much suspicion.

On my way there, I sense someone following me. I decide to ignore it until they let their guard down. I then moved quickly and pointed my kunai at the back of their neck.

"H-Hey! No need to be so violent!"

"…Kiba?"

Or more like, this world's Kiba. If something wasn't perfect in this whole place, it would be him. For some reason, he seems to be obsessed with me. According to what I saw through one of my snakes, he keeps a bunch of candid pictures of me in his room… I would be more disturbed if that was the only strange thing going on.

Kiba: "Yeah! It's me! Can you lower your kunai… please?"

Another weird thing about Kiba is that he doesn't bring Akamaru everywhere with him. I lower my kunai, but I still keep my guard up.

"Get out of here. I'm not in the mood to deal with you right now."

Kiba: "Oh man, you're so cute when you're angry…"

I don't have time to put up with this freak! I knock him out cold before heading back home. I'm sure he'll be fine. I don't even care if he isn't. What's most important is to get out of here.

When I get home, I find my fake mom waiting for me.

Shiroko: "Akia, you're home! Are you hungry? Should I get you something?"

"I'm going to sleep."

Shiroko: "Oh… Alright…"

She looks so sad that it pulls at my heartstrings, since she looks so similar to my real mom. I'm sorry, but I don't want to get attached to anyone here…

The next morning, I wake up and sneak outside the house as to not come face to face with my fake parents. Gaara is supposed to arrive today. He'll probably report to Naruto when he does. I should get there, then.

I arrive in front of the Hokage's office and hear Gaara's voice coming from inside. He's already there?

Naruto: "I think we have company."

Crap, he noticed that I'm here… I open the door and go inside. As soon as I get in, I'm greeted with a warm hug from Gaara. I don't even know if he's really Gaara or not… His warmth is the same, though… I can't help but hug him back.

Gaara: "Akia! I missed you!"

He breaks the hug and cups my face in his hands. No matter how much I look at him, he looks just like the Gaara I know… There's still a nagging voice in the back my mind that's telling me not to trust this, though. Everyone else here isn't the same… Why would Gaara be? But, I'm just so happy to see him.

Naruto: "Well, I guess we'll continue our discussion later, then."

Gaara: "Yeah, I'll be back later."

He then takes my hand.

Gaara: "Let's go somewhere. I have something important to tell you."

The whole time, he has this radiant smile. He definitely smiles much more than the Gaara I know. I still can't help but follow him. He then takes me to the forest, and we walk around for a little. During the whole time, he's quiet. I can actually feel that something is a bit off.

"Is… something wrong?"

My voice seems to pull him out of his thoughts. He looks at me and smiles gently.

Gaara: "You've always been so observant, Akia."

That's something that the real Gaara said to me before…

After some more walking, Gaara comes to a halt. I look around and recognize the spot where Naruto fought Gaara, when he lost control of his Shukaku.

Gaara: "Do you remember this place?"

"That's where you and Naruto…"

Gaara nodded and stood in front of me, facing me. He held both my hands in his. He then brought his lips to my forehead and kissed me. These lips are definitely Gaara's… Maybe… Maybe I was wrong this whole time…?

Gaara: "That's right, my love. This is also where I first fell for you."

"You did…?"

I thought I was the only one who started liking him so early…

Gaara: "Akia… I know this might sound sudden, but…"

Gaara then reaches for his pocket and takes out a small box. Is this… what I think it is…? I instinctively bring my hands to my mouth to hold off my gasp.

Gaara: "Akia, I want to be with you forever. I want to make you my woman."

He then opens the box to reveal a ring made of white gold, with three small diamonds in the middle. I can't believe this…! I feel like my heart is going to burst from happiness!

Gaara: "Will you marry me, my love?"

But… This world is fake… Isn't it? I shouldn't accept… I know I shouldn't accept, but…

"Yes… I will…!"

This happiness can't be fake… right?


	77. After the War

Everything's dark… I feel cold. Where am I? What's happening to me? …Who am I? I can't see anything around me. I'm scared. I'm so scared… I want to get out of here. Please, someone, anyone, help me…

As if answering my pleading, a bright light pierces through the darkness. It soon envelops me and I feel a warm sensation enveloping me. I instinctively close my eyes. My consciousness starts to fade away…

I slowly open my eyes. I squint, blinded by the sudden light. I feel like I just woke up from a long sleep. My eyes start to adjust to the light. The first thing I see next to me, or should I say person, is none other than Gaara. He seems to have just woken up too. By the looks of things, we're both lying on the ground, with some loose white bindings around us. They easily tear when I tug at them.

Gaara: "…Akia."

I smile, hearing him say my name. We both try to sit up and look around us. We're still in the same spot where we were, far from the battleground. What happened? Did we win? Gaara gets up and I follow suit. We look at each other and, without a word, we head to where the others are.

When we arrive there, we notice how everyone is cheering. There, Naruto and Sasuke are standing, with their hands joined in jutsu sign.

"They did it…!"

I then notice how Naruto's missing his right arm and Sasuke's missing his left arm. What happened to them? I wish I was there to help. It's all coming back to me now. The Shinju, the tree… Everyone got trapped inside the Infinite Tsukuyomi. Except for Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi, from the looks of things. I thought we got away from the battlefield both Gaara and I, but it seems like we're suddenly back to where the tree was. It probably pulled us in when it trapped us. I really have to ask Naruto to fill me in on what happened.

But for now, I'm going to enjoy this victory. We won the war. When everyone got back to their senses, cheering roared. I joined in, expressing my happiness. Someone then takes my hand. I turn to my right and see Gaara holding it. Overcome by emotion and happiness, I throw myself into his arms and he immediately hugs me tightly. I can't believe it… This is it… We've won! We're both alive! We're both together!

After a confirmation of our victory, every village gathers with their respective leader. So I guess we have to part…

Gaara: "Only for a short while, Akia. First thing I do when I get back home is find a way to see you."

I nod, reassured by his words. I go to where Konoha shinobi gathered. There, I see my comrades and friends with bright expressions on their faces. A lot of us hug each other out of relief and happiness.

The trip back home will take us a few days. Home… How long has it been since I've seen Konoha? Along the way, Sakura told us everything about what happened. After Madara activated the Infinite Tsukuyomi and trapped us all in the Shinju, Sasuke's Susanoo shielded Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, and himself from the effects of the visual jutsu. Sakura then told us about how Kaguya, the mother of chakra, was revived, and how they had to fight her. Finally, victorious, Sasuke was still set on fighting Naruto, wanting to create a revolution in the Ninja World. In the process of the fight, they both lost one of their arms. This seemed to have put some sense back into Sasuke's head who then complied to work alongside Naruto and undo the Infinite Tsukuyomi. That's when I noticed that Sasuke's now walking with us back to Konoha. I can't help but smile at the sight of him and Naruto talking together like how it was back then. Sakura also seems like she's much happier.

We're finally here. Those who have family are greeted with hugs and cries of joy. Of course, there are also tears of sadness and sorrow for those who gave up their lives in the war.

Not having anyone to welcome me back, I decide to go straight to my apartment. But I'm not sad this time. I still have family. My father, even after all the things he's done, is still my father. I finally accept that. I haven't completely forgiven him, but I don't hate him anymore. After all, it's only thanks to him that Gaara is still alive. Next time I see him, I'll thank him properly.

When I reach the door, I stand there, feeling a rush of emotions. It's as if it's just finally hitting me. I'm home. I'm really home.

"Akki-chan!"

I turn around at the sound of his voice.

"Naruto!"

Overwhelmed with emotion, tears start running down my face. Naruto smiles kindly at me. I quickly wipe my tears.

"Where's Sasuke?"

Naruto looks away.

Naruto: "It's better if I don't say anything."

"I see."

I think I know what happened. They probably arrested him. After all he's done, it's no surprise. I hope they let him go though, since, without him, we wouldn't even be here. After talking a bit, we each step inside our apartments. Oh… It's so dusty. I should've known. Well, my rest is gone out the window until I clean up this place.

I clean up for a while. Night is already falling. Almost done here… I hear a knock at my door. Who is it at this time? I go open the door and find Ino, Sakura, Kiba, Lee, Shikamaru, and Choji outside my door. What is this invasion?!

"H-Huh?"

Ino: "Akia! Good thing you're awake!"

Sakura: "Come on, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and get ready?"

"Ready for what?"

Kiba: "Isn't it obvious? Celebrating our victory!"

They all just keep getting louder and louder. I feel like my head is spinning at this rowdy scene. It's not like I have a choice in the matter, though. I guess I have to go. I join the group, who's next destination is Naruto's place. The same scene unfolds in front of my eyes, but, this time, I'm not the confused one. Naruto happily joins. We go around the village gathering other people to celebrate. Tenten, Hinata, Shino, Sai, and Neji are almost forced to come along. Following Choji's suggestion, we head for the Yakiniku restaurant.

We eat, laugh, and drink, our worries and burden of the war lifted. Full and exhausted, but bursting with happiness, we all head to our respective homes. As soon as I reach my bedroom, I collapse on the bed. I remember when Gaara and I promised each other to survive, right here, on this bed. Tightly embracing each other… Comforting and reassuring each other of what was about to come. Now, it's over. After all the hardship, it's finally over. And we're both alive.


	78. Visit

It's been already a few days since the war ended. Naruto has been so busy lately. Leaders from all over the ninja world have been coming to thank him for his heroic acts. Of course, a bunch of rabid friends and paparazzi keep trying to get past the Konoha gates, too. It's gotten to the point that some shinobi take turns guarding the entrance.

Kakashi's been elected to become the next Hokage, since Lady Tsunade is getting quite old. Because of that, he's doing everything he can to get Sasuke out of imprisonment. I'm sure it'll all work out somehow.

I get up from my bed. Everything's so peaceful now that I spend most of my time just relaxing. I was admitted to the hospital for only one day to get me checked. Nothing was unusual other than the fact that I didn't have the Shinju inside me anymore. That was already established, though. And because of it, Orochimaru gave me a curse mark. Again. But that's alright. He saved my life. I still didn't thank him for that. Right now, I don't really know where he is.

I leave my little apartment and go out for a walk around the village. I need to keep training regularly so that I don't get too rusty. I hope it's not going to be too hard to get past the swarm of people at the gates.

I get to the gates and sigh at just how loud the people out there are.

"This is so unfair!"

"We want to see the hero!"

"Let us through!"

And it goes on. I approach the shinobi who are trying to contain the 's when I notice someone slipping through. I turn around and catch the woman by her shirt.

"Let me go! You can't keep us out forever!"

"Not forever, but enough so that Naruto has time to recover."

I try to reason with her as I drag her away and back out.

Kotetsu: "Akia, thanks for the help. Can you stay around for a bit with to take care of this?"

"Sure thing. I have nothing better to do, anyway."

Of course, I'd rather be out in the woods, enjoying the rest of the day, but this is important. It's for Naruto's sake and I owe him everything.

I stand where there are less shinobi on guard and proceed to make sure no one breaks through. It's not too hard, but it's pretty tedious. Makes me just want to scare them off or tie them up and throw them in the nearest large body of water. But I know that's not the right way to deal with this sort of thing… I just have to suck it up and do this as peacefully as I can.

Is that the Raikage back there? And Killer Bee! They're probably also here to meet up with Naruto. Even these two muscular men and their escorts are having trouble getting through the crowd. Some of us welcome them and apologize for the commotion. They then take off to the Hokage's office, where all visitors are supposed to head to first.

It's already noon and I'm getting hungry… when is the next group coming to take over? If this wasn't for Naruto's sake, I would've bailed long ago.

"Make way! Make way!"

One of the shinobi orders the crowd. Someone else is visiting? I wonder who… I lift my eyes towards the visiting party.

"Ah!"

Gaara! Temari and Kankuro are with him too. A smile immediately forms on my face as soon as I see him. When he makes it past the crowd, he notices me too. He gives me a genuine smile and comes towards me.

Gaara: "Akia. I'm happy to see you."

He then takes my hands in his. The shinobi who was next to me does his best to take care of the empty spot I left, but I don't really care right now. Gaara's here and that's what's most important.

"I missed you…"

I say shyly while looking at our hands. Am I blushing? I think I'm blushing. I feel and see Gaara squeezing my hands. He then brings them up. My gaze naturally follows. He then brings my hands to his mouth and gently kisses them while closing his eyes. Now I'm definitely blushing.

Kankuro: "Get a room, you two!"

Gaara lets go of one of my hands, but keeps the left one in his right.

Gaara: "Want to take us to the Hokage's office?"

"Sure thing."

I smile and lead them towards the mansion. We hold hands the whole way there. Gaara asks me about how I've been feeling ever since the Shinju's power has been extracted from me.

"I don't really know how to feel about it. It's like a part of me is missing. I didn't try using jutsu ever since, really."

Gaara: "Until now, I also feel like a part of me is missing ever since the Shukaku was extracted from me."

"But at least now you can sleep."

Gaara: "And you'll start feeling better too, I'm sure."

I nod. There's always a positive side to everything. I just need to find it. I leave Gaara and the others with Kakashi and I go back to my position at the gates, telling Gaara where I'd be.

The sun starts to set by the time Gaara comes back to see me. He's alone this time.

Gaara: "Come."

He extends his hand to me and I gladly take it. We then start walking hand in hand. His fingers then interlace with mine.

"How long are you staying?"

Gaara scratches the back of his head with his free hand.

Gaara: "I'll have to leave first thing tomorrow."

"Oh… You can't stay longer?"

Gaara stops and turns towards me. He then caresses my cheek.

Gaara: "I'm sorry, Akia. I need to be there for my people."

"I know…"

Gaara's face gets closer and he kisses my forehead. I giggle a bit. Even if it's for a short while, I'm happy that Gaara's here with me.


	79. United with Love

We walk around the village for a bit. It's night already.

"Do you have a place to sleep?"

Gaara scratches the back of his head and looks away.

Gaara: "Well, of course… They do have a place prepared for Kankuro, Temari, and me.

"Oh…"

I have to admit that I'm a bit disappointed. I was hoping he'd spend the night with me like before the war.

Gaara: "I mean… It's going to be really crowded with all three of us in there…"

I look up at him and smirk. I get what he's trying to do.

"I'd be happy to have you stay at my place for the night."

His face just lit up when I said that. I then take his hand and we head for my home. I don't know why, but I feel so excited to have him over. I guess it's because it'll give us more time together, even if it's just one night. On top of that, we won't have any worries on our minds. We're just going to be together, enjoying each other's company.

"Here we are!"

I unlock the door and we both head in.

Gaara: "I see you still have snakes around."

"Yeah, they really like hanging around here. I'll tell them to come back in the morning."

After all the snakes head out, I turn to Gaara. There's a glimmer in his eyes. I feel like I'm being sucked in. For some reason, my heart is beating really fast.

"U-Um, are you hungry?"

He slowly shook his head and got closer to me. He put one of his hands on my cheek. I then felt his lips on mine. They were abnormally hot. His hand also felt as if it was boiling… Like his whole body was on fire. My own body was getting hot as well. I felt my heart beating really fast. Gaara wrapped his other hand around my waist. He brought the one that was on my cheek to the back of my head, deepening our kiss. I rest my hands on his strong chest. He starts gently nibbling and sucking on my lower lip. Just as I'm about to do the same, he seizes the opportunity to force his tongue in.

"Mm…!"

He's so much more daring than usual. What's gotten into him all of a sudden? What's gotten into me…? My body is tingling… I'm craving his touch. I feel so… weird. It's tingling… down there… I've never felt like this before.

As our tongues intertwine, I start feeling more and more excited. We pull away to catch our breath.

"Gaara…"

His face is flushed. I bet mine is too.

Gaara: "Akia… I don't know… why I'm feeling like this, but I can't hold myself back anymore."

"Gaara, I-"

Before I can finish my sentence, he goes in for another kiss. He hugs me tightly, almost crushing my body against his. I feel so dizzy. It's like I'm drowning in his love. Gaara, my Gaara…

He pulls away again. We're both breathing pretty heavily.

Gaara: "Akia… Is it alright?"

"I don't want this to stop, Gaara… You know that I'm yours, like I've always been."

Gaara smiles and kisses my forehead gently. He then picks me up bridal style and goes to my bed where he gently puts me down in the middle. He then climbs up and kisses me again, pushing me down on the bed until I'm completely lying down, with him hovering over me. He then pulls back a bit and looks into my eyes.

Gaara: "I… I've never done this… before."

"I'd be surprised if you did do it before. But it's also my first time…"

Gaara chuckles and rubs his nose on mine. We then look at each other with gazes overflowing with love.

Gaara: "You're mine."

Right after he says that, he kisses me more aggressively. I wrap my arms around his neck. His right hand trails down my top and sneaks under it. He starts caressing my waist, sending shivers all over my body. He then pulls his lips away from my own and kisses down to my neck.

"Ah! Gaara…!"

He's kissing and sucking on my neck. My breathing is getting heavier from the pleasure. His hand then starts going higher up my shirt, exposing more of my skin. He then goes even higher, cupping my right breast in his hand. Even though it's over my bra, it still feels so good…

"Mm…!"

I can't help but moan as he gently fondles it. Gaara stops sucking on my neck and backs off a bit, taking his time looking at me. Not just my face, but my breasts too… For some reason, it's making me feel a bit embarrassed but also really excited. Having him look at me with such hungry eyes. It's as if he's ready to just eat me up.

Gaara reaches for my top and pulls it off, throwing it off the bed. He then lowers his head to my breasts and starts kissing and licking the exposed parts while his hands work their way to my back, unhooking my bra. Taking it off as well, he pulls back once more, staring at my newly exposed parts with so much passion. His stare is so intense that I can't help but put my hands over my breasts, hiding them from him.

Gaara: "Why are you hiding them?"

"I just feel… so shy about you seeing me like that…"

Gaara gives me a reassuring smile. He then takes off his top, leaving him with only his pants on. His body is so well-toned… I can't help but drool a bit. Without warning, he reaches for my hands that are still covering my breasts and pins them to each side, uncovering me completely. He's looking at them so much that I can't help but close my eyes, feeling extremely shy.

Gaara: "You're so beautiful…"

His comment makes me reopen my eyes and look at him. He's smiling so gently. He then kisses me and cups my breasts in each of his hands. He gently squeezes them and caresses them, making me moan into his mouth. He pulls away and starts licking my right nipple.

"Ah! Gaara!"

I feel myself getting so wet down there. The more he licks my nipple, the more my juices flow. He then starts sucking on my nipple as his left hand softly twists and kneads my other nipple. At this point, I can't hold my voice back anymore. He then switches to sucking my left nipple as he plays around with the other in his right hand.

Gaara: "Akia, will you have me?"

I nod.

"As long as you love me, Gaara, I'm all yours, forever."

Gaara then trails his hands down to my skirt and takes it off. He does the same with my panties, completely exposing my womanhood. He then spreads my legs and starts caressing my most private part. I moan in ecstasy as he explores me. He then slowly inserts one finger inside.

"Ah!"

He keeps going, encouraged by my pleasured reaction. After teasing me for a bit, he finally takes off his pants, exposing his swollen member. It's so much bigger than I thought. Would that ever fit?

Gaara: "Don't hesitate to tell me when it hurts."

I nod, a little scared. Gaara comes in between my legs, making our two genitals touch. He slowly pushes himself in. It's stretching me so much that I can't help but groan in pain. This makes him stop for a bit.

"Don't move…"

We stay like this until my insides start to relax. He then slowly gets deeper and deeper… Until he's completely in. The pain subsiding, I start moving my hips along his slow movements. It's starting to feel… so good.

"Faster…"

Gaara picks up the pace and I wrap my legs around his back.

"Ah! Gaara!"

We move in synch, feeling each other with every fibre of our being.

Gaara: "Akia! My Akia!"

We keep going until I feel something welling up inside of me.

"Gaara, something's coming! I… I…!"

And then, in a feeling similar to an explosion, I reach the epitome of pleasure, reaching it at the same time as my beloved. I then feel him fill me up as both of our bodies shake in the release of the extreme pleasure. Gaara then comes and lies down next to me, pulling me close into his arms.

Gaara: "Akia… I love you…"

"I love you too… my Gaara."

I then fall asleep in his strong arms, bathed in his warmth and love.


	80. Father and Daughter

It's already been a few days since Gaara left Konohagakure. I already miss him. Another thing that's been on my mind is how Orochimaru is doing. I'm not worried about him, just curious. Is he still up to his same old experiments? If he is I hope he's using more humane methods.

There hasn't been a whole lot to do ever since the war ended. At least not for me, anyway. Naruto was always busy, as well as the Hokage. I train everyday as to not get rusty. Speaking of which, I should head to the training grounds.

I seem to be the only one here. It is kind of early. I close my eyes and inhale the morning breeze.

"Well, well…"

Who said that? My eyes snap open and I turn to where I heard the voice.

"Orochimaru?!"

What's he doing here? I notice that Yamato is also there, "hiding". I'm pretty sure Orochimaru knows he's there… I did hear that Yamato's been given the task of keeping an eye on Orochimaru. Must be tiring.

Orochimaru: "How have you been handling the peace, Akia?"

He says it with his usual smile. I shrug.

"It's definitely less stressful."

Orochimaru: "Do you miss the action?"

I look him in the eyes. What's he getting at?

Orochimaru: "You don't need to eye me so suspiciously. I'm just curious."

I cross my arms and face him, not convinced at all by his reason. He puts up his hands in the air in a sign of resignation.

Orochimaru: "Sharp as ever. Actually, I wanted to come see you. The reason being that… I haven't been the best parent figure. I'd like to change that."

"It's alright. I'm kind of over it by this point."

Orochimaru: "Will you allow me one last selfish request?"

I sigh.

"What is it?"

Orochimaru: "I would like to have you come along and travel with me. I want to learn more about you and I want you to learn more about me. I want us to connect as father and daughter."

My eyes widen in shock. I did not expect that at all. But for some reason, I feel tempted to accept. I'd of course need to tell the Hokage about it and… Wait, am I actually considering his offer? After all that's happened? Should I really go back to him? What would everyone think of that? What would Naruto think? What would Gaara think…

Orochimaru: "I want a second chance to show you just how much I truly care about you."

"I…"

This is too sudden…

"I need time to think about it."

Orochimaru closed his eyes and smiled. There was something like regret in that smile, though.

Orochimaru: "Take your time. I'll be going on my way tonight. If you decide to come along, meet me back here."

I nod and he leaves me alone in the training field. Alone with my thoughts.

While training, I keep thinking about what just happened. What should I do? This could probably be my only opportunity to reconnect with the only family I have.

I should head back. I'll probably go eat some Ichiraku ramen on my way home. Hopefully Naruto's there. It's around noon now, so he might be there to grab some lunch.

The village is much livelier at this hour. I make my way to Ichiraku. Before even going inside, I hear Naruto's voice ordering his favourite char sui miso ramen. I smile to myself. He really hasn't changed. I go in and take a seat next to him.

Naruto: "Ah! Akki-chan! It feels like it's been so long!"

"Yeah, we haven't really had any time to see each other, have we?"

Naruto: "How've you been?"

He starts slurping on his noodles.

"Good enough."

I order the spicy miso ramen.

Naruto: "What's on your mind?"

"My mind…"

Naruto: "You don't seem like yourself."

He saw right through me.

"I'm just lost in thought."

Teuchi brings out my ramen and I thank him. I start eating it while it's still hot.

Naruto: "What do you mean?"

I should just tell him. There's no point in hiding it.

"I talked to Orochimaru this morning."

Naruto: "Orochimaru? He's in the village?"

Naruto sounds so casual about it. No surprise there, since Orochimaru swore he wouldn't stir up any more trouble.

"Well, he was. I don't know if he still is."

Naruto: "Huh. And?"

"And well… He offered me to go join him in his travels for a bit."

Naruto chocked on his broth a bit.

Naruto: "That's unexpected."

"That's exactly what I thought. But then he said that he wanted a chance to be more of a father to me. I just… don't know what to do."

There's a moment of silence. We both eat our ramen quietly. Naruto finishes up his ramen and takes out his wallet.

Naruto: "Whatever you choose to do, make sure you have no regrets."

He waves at me and leaves. He's right. I shouldn't have any regrets about this. I know what I need to do. I finish up my ramen and pay for it before leaving.

I head back home. As soon as I arrive, I head to my bed and let myself collapse on it. I wish I could tell Gaara about what happened. I could always send him a messenger snake. He's used to those. Might as well. I get up and write down what went on between me and Orochimaru. I also write what my decision is. There's no going back anymore. I call one of my snakes and give it the letter. Under my instructions, it leaves automatically.

I look out the window. The sun is setting. It's time. I head out and go to the training field. By the time I arrive there, the sun is completely gone, now replaced by the moon. I look around, waiting for Orochimaru to make an appearance. I didn't have to wait very long. I see him come in the training field, no smile on his face this time.

Orochimaru: "And your answer is?"

He sounds very serious. I take a deep breath before telling him my decision.

"I'll go with you… dad."


	81. Sasuke Shinden

I wonder if Gaara read the message… He should've received it by now. What's he going to think? I just left without any warning after all. And now I spend most of my time travelling around, learning new things with my dad. He's taught me quite a lot in terms of experimenting and medical jutsu. The good thing is that he stopped experimenting on people. Alive people, that is… Corpses are still ok in his book. I mean, it's a bit gruesome, but it's better than breathing human beings who scream in pain at everything you do. Yamato has been following us around the whole time anyway, so doing anything illegal can get both of us in deep trouble. I don't think Orochimaru actually

Orochimaru: "Hand me that vial."

I reach for the vial containing a thick white liquid. Father has been trying to create a fully functional human being for a while now. He's pretty close. He just needs to figure out how to give the artificial human a will of its own.

"Here you go."

Orochimaru: "Thank you, dear."

A small smile creeps at the corner of my mouth. I feel so peaceful. I have… a family. Even if it's just me and my father, I feel happy. I just miss Gaara…

Someone's here.

Orochimaru: "Seems like we've got company."

Dad smirks and doesn't let that interrupt his work. Seeing him so calm kind of rubs off on me. If it was a hostile presence, Karin, Suigetsu and Jugo would've probably done something about it. I've been actually getting along pretty well with all three of them. Jugo's probably the one I feel most comfortable around, though. He's just got that peaceful aura.s And he's the most quiet of all of them. Karin is nice, but she's obnoxiously loud. Kind of reminds me of Naruto… They are from the same clan after all. As for Suigetsu… Let's just say that, if Gaara was here, he'd get soaked up in sand. Yeah, he just can't stop flirting. He does that to almost every girl, from what I hear, except Karin.

The door opens. I turn around to see Sasuke standing in the door frame. I must say that I did not expect him here. Orochimaru also turns around, but he doesn't seem all that surprised.

Orochimaru: "It's been a while, Sasuke. What brings you to my humble abode?"

Sasuke: "I'll cut to the chase. Do you have any information about the head of Lightning Group?"

Orochimaru: "Ah… You must be referring to Oyashiro En."

Sasuke takes a step inside the room.

Sasuke: "Do you have any information about his whereabouts?"

Orochimaru: "And may I ask why you're looking for him?"

Sasuke closes his eyes and reopens them. I see a light of determination in his eyes that I haven't seen before.

Sasuke: "To protect the people most important to me."

Orochimaru smirks.

Orochimaru: "You really did change, hmm?"

Father then turns around, his back to Sasuke.

Orochimaru: "Allow me a few moments to tidy up before I join you outside."

Sasuke stays there for a bit before leaving and closing the door behind him.

Orochimaru: "Akia. You'll come with us?"

I nod.

"It looks like it might be interesting."

He chuckles.

Orochimaru: "That's my girl."

Yeah… This really is happiness.

A little girl and man, who seem to have been accompanying Sasuke, insisted on coming along. They introduced themselves as Chino and Nowaki. I don't exactly feel comfortable around them. Something's just extremely off about the way she smiles. It seems so fake. I'm sure that Sasuke noticed it already, but I feel like he's trying to play along with it, letting them think that they've tricked him. It's not that easy to trick Sasuke.

After heading out and travelling for a bit with Sasuke, he finally breaks the silence.

Sasuke: "Care to tell me where we're heading?"

Orochimaru: "Have you ever heard of the Coliseum?"

Sasuke: "Coliseum?"

Orochimaru: "An arena… Located on an island where rich people go off to spend their money for their own amusement. The Coliseum is the most popular attraction on the island. The rich hire shinobi and have them fight against each other, while the audience starts bidding on who they think the winner would be. The winner's owner then is allowed to keep both shinobi."

Treating shinobi as less than humans for amusement? How come I've never heard of this? How come this hasn't been stopped yet?

We board a rowboat to cross to the island.

Finally reaching the Coliseum, we make our way inside. Funny how they didn't stop us. They just asked Orochimaru a few questions let us pass through. Did he…? I wouldn't put it past him.

While watching two shinobi fight, Chino starts expressing herself genuinely for the first time to us.

Sasuke: "I'm not interested in this, Orochimaru."

Orochimaru: "Really? I think it's the best bet to lure out Oyashiro. He's the type that likes to collect powerful, unique shinobi."

Sasuke says nothing, but he seems to understand that it is necessary to be here.

Chino: "This is horrible…"

Nobody says anything.

Chino: "Sasuke-chan, you're not going to do something about this?"

Sasuke: "What do you mean?"

Chino: "In the victim's eyes, whether it's their assailant or a third party who does nothing, they're all equally guilty."

Something is definitely off about her. I know she meant exactly what she's saying, but then why isn't she doing anything about it? Why blame Sasuke of all people? I could confront her, but I feel that might create some problems for Sasuke.

Chino: "I can't stand to see this anymore… Let's go, Nowaki."

She leaves. Orochimaru nudges me. I look him in the eyes and nod. I should definitely follow them and keep an eye on them. Of course, I have to make sure they don't notice me.

Announcer: "Is everyone excited for the next match? Well you should, since it will be a legendary match!"

The crowd cheers. I listen to all this while staying in the shadows, following Chino and Nowaki. They seem to be planning something. Chino puts on a cloak to conceal herself and make her way out into the crowd, in the first row. She then looks up at some of the patrons there.

Announcer: "The first contender is Futsu, employed by Oyashiro En!"

A shinobi gets up on stage. Well this is easier than I thought it would be. Oyashiro's already out. Why, though?

Announcer: "And look at that! His opponent is Uchiha Sasuke, hired by Orochimaru! The last Uchiha! This will be a battle to remember!"

I get it. Orochimaru planned all of this.

I see Sasuke appear on stage. Chino comes back to Nowaki, still hiding in the shadows. She then does a hand sign. Then screaming occurs outside where the spectators are. I direct my gaze there and see one of the patrons get up. Then I notice patches on his skin bubbling up and inflating. Sasuke then immediately uses his sharingan and somehow stops the symptoms. What was that jutsu? One thing's for sure, though, that Chino girl is definitely behind it. I should go back and tell Orochimaru what I saw.


	82. Your Love Through a Letter

Orochimaru: "I see. It's just as I suspected. Those two are behind it all."

"Should we tell Sasuke?"

Orochimaru: "I'm sure that he already knows that."

Definitely. It's not hard for a ninja of his caliber to figure that kind of stuff out. I wait for them outside, keeping an eye on Chino and Nowaki, while Orochimaru and Sasuke talk with Oyashiro En. They don't seem to appreciate my presence. Chino then smiles at me. A fake smile.

Chino: "Akia-chan, right?"

I smile back with an equally fake smile.

"I didn't expect you to remember my name."

I'd definitely just take you down right now if it wouldn't just go against Sasuke's plan. I'm sure he's planning something.

Chino: "Why didn't you go inside with them?"

"Just wanted to make sure that no other incidents would occur."

I feel the tension in the air. She's definitely suspecting that I know something. Before she has the chance to respond, Orochimaru and Sasuke come out of the room. We then all make our way off the island.

Sasuke then parts ways with us, taking Chino and Nowaki along. Well that takes care of that problem.

Orochimaru: "Let's go back home, shall we?"

"Yeah, home."

I smile at that word. I still feel so overwhelmed by the fact that I belong somewhere and that I have a family. We head back to the hideout. As soon as we get there, Karin jumps out on us.

Karin: "Sasuke-ku-?"

She looks behind us and around. She's still hung upon Sasuke, even though he doesn't give her any attention.

Karin: "Where is he? He's not with you?"

Orochimaru: "He's got some things to take care of."

Karin pouts and goes back. Orochimaru heads back to one of his labs while I decide to head back to my room. On my way there, I bump into Suigetsu.

Suigetsu: "Hello there! You're finally back."

"Yes I am."

If I talk to him too much he might start flirting with me again.

Suigetsu: "What are you going to do now? Do you have some free time? Maybe we could spend some time together."

"No thanks. I'm a bit tired."

I try to leave, but he stands in front of me and blocks the way.

Suigetsu: "Come on! I'll relieve all your stress. Just give me a chance!"

I sigh.

"Suigetsu, we've been over this. I'm not interested in you that way. Besides, there's already someone else in my life."

Suigetsu lets out a whining sound.

Suigetsu: "Yeah, I know it's the Kazekage. Couldn't you have picked someone less imposing? How am I supposed to compete with him?"

"There's no competition, Suigetsu. He wins hands down."

With that I get around him and get into my room, closing it behind me. Suigetsu can get pretty annoying sometimes, but that's really the extent of it. He's never tried to do anything funny. It's probably because he's too afraid of having to deal with my dad's reaction. He's already on thin ice because of all the flirting. Every time Orochimaru sees him, he gives him one of those really scary glares that almost makes Suigetsu start melting from nervousness.

I go sit on the only chair in my room. It's a pretty simple room. I only have the basic necessities. A desk, a chair, and a futon. It doesn't bother me at all, though. I actually like the simpleness of it. I keep my clothes and items in a wooden box placed right next to my desk. On my desk, there's a few papers and some ink. There's also the colourful box where I kept all the letters that Gaara sent me. Gaara… I'm starting to really miss him. After that beautiful night we spent together, I can't help but craving his touch again.

My eyelids feel heavy. I should just go to sleep for now.

I wake up the next day and find a snake looking me straight in the eyes. I rub my eyes out of their sleep.

"Oh, it's you!"

It's the snake that I sent Gaara! I immediately get up. He probably sent a letter back to me this way. I open my hand in front of the snake's mouth and he opens it, regurgitating a scroll from its mouth. I knew it! I open the letter as fast as I can, unable to wait a single second. I then start reading it.

Dear Akia,

I must say that I am quite shocked upon hearing that you left with your father. However, I am also very happy for you. It seems that you have finally found peace of mind and comfort in the only family you have left. Just remember that, whatever happens, I will always love you, no matter what other people may think.

I miss you more than you can imagine.

Love,

Gaara.

'No matter what other people may think?' What does he mean by that? Could it be… that some people don't agree with us being together? I mean, it is highly possible, since my father did kill Gaara's father… Of course some people would just group me up with my Orochimaru, thinking that I would do the same. Both Gaara and I know that I wouldn't, but I guess that's probably not enough. I just don't want to cause Gaara any problems with his people. This letter brings a smile to my face, however. His letters are always so full of love. He's so understanding, too.

I get up, change and refresh myself before heading out to help out dad for a bit. Like always, I find him deeply concentrated in his experiments.

"Morning."

Without turning around, Orochimaru answers.

Orochimaru: "Good morning, my dear. Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, it was a peaceful night."

Orochimaru: "And you also got a lovely letter in the morning, didn't you?"

I scratch the back of my head.

"H-How did you know?"

Of course he'd know. Why am I even asking?

Orochimaru: "Oh, it's just that I know what your favourite messenger snake looks like. Besides, there were some sand particles on its skin."

"I guess…"

I go and help Orochimaru out for a bit. Lately he's been focusing all of his efforts on creating a living human being, fully functional. We're nowhere near the perfect image he has in mind.

Orochimaru: "Akia."

"What is it?"

I look at him. He's not smiling like usual.

Orochimaru: "I wanted to go to Kirigakure."

"Kirigakure…?"

That's… where mom's from. Why does he want to go there?

Orochimaru: "There's something there that I'd like to see with you."

I slowly nod.

"Alright…"


	83. Remorse and Atonement

After a few days of travelling, we finally arrive at the outskirts of Kirigakure. Instead of heading in the village, however, Orochimaru leads me to one of his older hideouts. I remember it from my childhood. Why are we here? We arrive in one of the many rooms in the hideout. Father doesn't say a thing. He then stands still in front of fancy looking wooden coffin.

"Father?"

Orochimaru smiles the most genuine smile I've seen him make.

Orochimaru: "After all this, you still have it in your heart to call me father."

What's he getting at?

Orochimaru: "I'm sorry for all the pain I've made you go through. Both you and Shiroko suffered so much at my hands. You became victims of my twisted ambition."

He sounds like he really regrets everything that's happened.

"It's all in the past… You've changed since back then."

He then turns to me and hugs me. This is the first time I've ever been hugged by my father. My eyes start tearing up at the comforting contact. This is what I've always longed for… I just wanted to have a loving family. I wanted someone to be there for me and love me. After all this time, I finally feel like I have that. We finally pull away from the hug after a while. Orochimaru then turns to the coffin.

Orochimaru: "Killing your mother was one of the biggest mistakes I've done in my life. Another was not caring for like a father should."

"You're already making up for that now. I'm very grateful to you for finally being here for me."

I really do feel that way. I never thought or even fathomed that I'd ever fell like that. I was so engulfed by my hatred back then, which was quite justified. But now, I've grown close to my father. I've come to understand him, to accept him, and to feel his deep regret.

Orochimaru: "There's also one more thing I've been working on to atone for what I've done."

One more thing to atone?

Orochimaru: "In this coffin lies the corpse of Shiroko. I've made sure to conserve it, keeping it intact for all of these years. It was never my intention to end her life. I just thought it was the only way to make you strong enough to prevent you from dying so easily like so many people have. In the end, I was just being selfish. I've been meaning to revive Shiroko once I mastered the Reanimation jutsu. Now, I finally believe that I have almost perfected it."

Is he serious?

"You're planning on bringing mom back?"

Orochimaru looks at me and nods. This would be amazing! But… No… It's not right. That jutsu brought so much pain to others. I don't think mother would be happy to be brought back by such means. Then again, who am I to pretend that I know what she wants. I dare even say that I don't know my mother that well. I've only known her for the first years of my life, after all. I was still a child back then. I didn't understand deep complicated matters such as these. Orochimaru looks at me with a worried face.

Orochimaru: "Is something wrong, Akia?"

I notice that I've been frowning instead of smiling from happiness at his revelation.

"I'm just confused as to whether this is right or wrong… I mean, I really want to see her again, but…"

Orochimaru: "I understand your concerns. I've been thinking about it for a while, too. However, I miss her. I really miss her. I want to apologize to her. I want her to know that I loved her and still love her to this day. I know she probably would still hate me for everything that I've done, but I still feel the need to tell her how sorry I am."

I bite my lower lip. I don't know what to say to all of this. I want her back. I really do…

"How are you going to do this?"

Usually it requires a human sacrifice to reanimate someone. If he tells me it does require another life, then I'll know that this is not the right thing to do.

Orochimaru: "I've been cultivated a sample of White Zetsu's DNA. Kabuto was kind enough to provide me some of it after the war. Using that, I'll be able to substitute it instead of a human sacrifice. I knew you wouldn't want me to take someone else's life for this, that's why I came prepared."

It seems like this really will happen. I feel some sort of excitement welling up inside of me.

"Did you bring White Zetsu along?"

Orochimaru shakes his head.

Orochimaru: "I didn't. It hasn't fully grown yet. I need more time. However, I came here to make some preparations."

Father bites his finger, making it bleed. Orochimaru then draws a few signs using his blood on the coffin. He then makes a few hand signs, unfolds an empty scroll that he took out of his pocket and writes some more things inside the scroll. I see. He's prepping a summoning jutsu. He's planning on transporting the coffin back to our current hideout. After he's done with things, he folds back the scroll.

Orochimaru: "Let's rest up here before we set out again."

I nod and head for one of the old rooms to sleep. There's still the bed that I used to sleep on. It's very dusty and seems like it'll break any second. I'm not sleeping on that, that's for sure. I sit on the floor, my back against one of the room's walls. I want to send Gaara another letter, but I don't think I'll be able to concentrate on telling him what's been happening. There's just too much going on in my mind. Maybe I'll just tell him when I see him… I really miss him.

The next day, I wake up and stretch my sore body. It's been a while since I slept in a sitting position like that. Not comfortable. I go outside of the hideout and inhale the fresh air. Orochimaru soon joins me there.

Orochimaru: "Ready to head back?"

I look at Orochimaru, then I look in the distance.

"Actually, can I just go to Sunagakure for a bit?"

Orochimaru smiles at me.

Orochimaru: "I knew he'd win over me after all. Do what you want to do, Akia. I won't hold you back. You better invite me to your wedding, though."

My face heats up at his comment and I can't help but giggle.

"Of course I will. You and mom."


	84. Familiar Faces

I see the Sunagakure gates. Finally here… The whole trip here I've been thinking and rethinking about what father told me. He'll bring back mom… Is it right? Is it wrong? Thinking about this, I realize that he's also a reanimation. For some reason, it doesn't seem so strange to me that he is. What if my mother also becomes a reanimation? At least… I'll get to see her again. And father will apologize for what he did done to her. The only concern I have is for her to fit back in into a world she hasn't been part of for so long. If she decides to stay with dad, it won't be a problem, but… Realistically she probably won't. What's done is done, anyway. It would be a bit too late to tell my dad not to go through with this at this point.

When I reach the gates, I go through a brief inspection before the shinobi on guard duty let me through, recognizing who I am. I ask them where Gaara is at this time, and they tell me that he's most probably in his office. I thank them and head for Kazekage's office.

I reach the closed door of Gaara's office and take a deep breath, controlling my excitement. I then knock gently on his door.

Gaara: "Come in."

He's in there! I reach for the doorknob and open the door. I see Gaara lift his head up from his papers and then he opens his eyes widely. A smile then immediately appears on his face as he gets up and quickly walks up to me, hugging me tightly.

Gaara: "Akia! Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

I hug him back, enjoying his warmth.

"I wanted to surprise you."

Gaara pulls back from the hug and kisses me on the lips. He then looks me in the eyes, a smile still on his face. I can't help but smile either.

Gaara: "Well, it worked."

He then proceeds to give me a lot of kisses on my lips, cheeks, forehead, nose, anywhere he can get. I giggle. He eventually stops, only to pull me back in a tight hug. After calming down from the excitement of seeing each other, Gaara finally gets back to sitting down at his desk.

"You still have a lot of things to do, don't you?"

He nods, looking a bit sad.

Gaara: "I wish I could just leave it all and spend all the time with you."

"Don't say that. You have a responsibility towards your village. Besides, you don't need to worry. I'll be here for a while this time. I'm planning to ask the Hokage for special permission to stay in Sunagakure for a bit. Oh, I also need the Kazekage's permission for that."

I wink at Gaara. He smirks.

Gaara: "How can I say no?"

"Alright then, I'll go contact the Hokage. Let's meet up after you're done with things."

Gaara: "That'll give me the motivation to finish things up faster."

I blow him a kiss and leave the office. I head towards the Kazekage mansion where I head straight for Gaara's room. Using his desk, I start writing my intentions to stay in Sunagakure to the Hokage. I'm sure Kakashi would understand. After finishing my letter, I summon one of my messenger snakes and give it the scroll before setting it off to Konohagakure.

Alright! Now that I'm done with that, I should go find Temari and Kankuro to greet them. They don't seem to be either in the office or in the mansion. Maybe they're out in the village.

I get out on the streets of Sunagakure and start walking around. Even though everything seems to be the same as before, there's still this new feeling of peace. People seem much happier and reassured while doing what they usually do.

"Akia?"

I turn towards the person who called out to me. Upon seeing who it is, I smile brightly.

"Maki!"

Maki: "It is you! I haven't seen you ever since the Great War."

"Same here! How have you been?"

Fighting alongside Maki during the war was one of the things that I'm really grateful for. She's a great kunoichi who's level-headed on the battlefield and doesn't let her emotions take over.

She invites me to go grab a bite together and we catch up and tell each other about how things have been after the war.

Maki: "The only downside to this peace is that there's way less work for shinobi now."

"I bet. But it's a small price to pay compared to what we have now."

Maki: "So you're here to see the Kazekage, I assume."

I nod and smile.

"Yeah, it's been a while since I last saw him."

Maki: "You two are lucky to have each other."

We talk a bit more until the sun starts to set.

Maki: "I guess it's getting late. It was nice seeing you, Akia. Let's do this again sometime."

"Definitely. It's always nice spending time with friends."

Maki smiles when I mention the word friends. She waves at me as she leaves and I wave back. It really is nice to spend time with someone that I just naturally get along with.

I wonder if Gaara's done with his paperwork. I might as well head back to check up on him.

On my way to his office, I bump into none other than Temari.

"Temari!"

Temari: "Ah! Akia! I didn't know you were here!"

"Yeah, I arrived this morning. I was meaning to come say hi to both you and Kankuro, but I couldn't find you guys."

Temari: "Kankuro is probably in his workshop developing playing around with his puppets. I don't think you'll see him today. You're here for Gaara?"

"That's right. I wanted to check if he was done with his paperwork."

Temari: "Ah. From what I saw earlier, he seemed to still have quite a lot to go through. You might just want to wait for him back in the mansion."

I sigh. I guess that's to be expected. He is the Kazekage after all.

"Alright. Would you mind telling him for me?"

Temari: "You got it."

We part ways and I head for the mansion. There doesn't seem to be anyone. No wonder. Gaara's in his office, Temari is helping him, and Kankuro is having fun in his workshop. I should go see if there's any food here first. When I open the fridge, I find absolutely nothing except a few raw ingredients. If I leave it that way, Temari will be the one cooking for us tonight. I can't let that happen… I guess it'll keep me occupied.


	85. Threat of the Moon

Kankuro: "Now that's what I call food!"

Temari glares at Kankuro when he says that. Gaara and I can't help but chuckle under our breath. I'm just glad they like the food.

Temari: "It's… good."

"Thank you, Temari."

Gaara doesn't say anything, but, from how fast he's eating, he looks like he's enjoying it a lot. It's not anything fancy, either. I just did some fried rice with the leftovers.

Kankuro: "You're going to be one lucky man, Gaara."

Gaara: "I know."

I feel my face blushing at what they said. Does that mean that he's planning to marry me?

After dinner, Temari and Kankuro went on to do their own thing. Gaara then brings me to his room. I really feel like I should talk to him about what Orochimaru is planning to do.

Gaara: "Something's on your mind."

I sigh.

"Yeah…"

Gaara: "You want to talk about it?"

"I was planning to tell you, actually."

Gaara takes off his Kazekage robe, revealing his usual attire. He then takes a seat on the bed and I do the same. He takes my hand in his and kisses it. I can't help but smile when he does that.

Gaara: "What's bothering you?"

I look him in the eyes.

"I just… My father… Orochimaru is planning on doing something and I don't know what to think of it."

Gaara: "What do you mean?"

"Well, he's planning on bringing my mother back."

Gaara blinks a few times. I can see that he wasn't expecting that at all.

"Yeah…"

Gaara: "And you…"

"I'm both happy and unsure. I mean, I'd love to see my mother again, but… Is it the right thing to do? Does she have a place in the world of the living?"

Gaara scratches the back of his head.

Gaara: "I don't really know what to say."

I sigh. Of course it's also hard for him to have an opinion on this.

Gaara: "But, aren't I also supposed to be dead?"

I squeeze his hand in mine, remembering the pain I felt when I thought I had lost him.

"It's not the same, though. This is still your body. You were only gone for a short time. You still had a place to come back to."

Gaara: "Doesn't your mother have that too?"

"She… I don't know if she'd be happy to see my father again after what he did to her."

Gaara: "She has you, though. Right?"

I can't say anything back to that. She does have me. She'll always have me. Gaara then put a hand on my head, petting my hair.

Gaara: "I only want your happiness, Akia."

"I know… thank you, Gaara."

He pulls me in for a deep kiss. I feel his tongue inside my mouth, exploring every crevice. I'm starting to feel lightheaded… I let myself go, caving to both his and my desire.

The next morning, we wake up in each other's arms and smile at each other. Gaara then softly kisses my forehead.

"Good morning…"

I say drowsily.

Gaara: "Good morning, my beautiful woman."

I giggle. I can't help but feel butterflies in my stomach when he calls me sweet names like that.

We get up and get dressed. Gaara then heads straight to his office after apologizing to me for being so busy. Even though I'm a bit disappointed I won't be able to spend time with him, I understand the reason behind why he's so busy.

I stayed in Sunagakure for a few months, spending time with Gaara, Maki, Temari, and Kankuro. Walking around the village without nothing to worry about, made me realize just how everything is so different from before. Technology has started to take over with screens hanging around, displaying shows and advertisements. There's also been construction of a train line. I wonder if they'll ever build one between the hidden villages.

Just when I thought nothing could disrupt this peace, Gaara comes back home with a grave expression.

"Gaara? Is something wrong?"

Temari and Kankuro seem as confused as me to why he's like that.

Gaara: "I just had an urgent meeting with all the other Kage."

"What happened?"

Gaara: "I don't know if it's something to really worry about, but the moon has started to fall out of its orbit. It's heading towards the Earth."

What?!

"That could be a disaster! If it falls onto the Earth, all life will be wiped out!"

Gaara nods. He probably figured as much during the meeting. That's so strange… Why would something like that happen?

A few days go by without any update on the situation. I decide to go take a walk and stop by Gaara's office. Before I knock on his door, I hear him having a conversation with someone else. A familiar voice… Kakashi? They're probably video chatting. It must be something urgent.

Kakashi: "Naruto, Hinata, Sakura, Sai, and Shikamaru are going after him as we speak. It seems that that man might be the reason why the moon is heading our way."

Gaara: "All we can do now is join hands and protect our land while Naruto and the others take care of the rest…"

A man is behind the moon coming out of its orbit? I don't understand what's going on at all! After Gaara ends his call with Kakashi, I knock on the door.

Gaara: "Come in."

When I open the door, Gaara doesn't seem surprised to see me there.

Gaara: "How much did you hear?"

"Not much… Just that Naruto and the others were dispatched after a certain man who's apparently the reason behind this natural disaster."

Gaara sighs. He looks so tired. It must be all the work and stress of the situation.

Gaara: "I'll tell you everything… I need to get some of it off my chest."

I nod.

"You can trust me."

Gaara smiles at me.

Gaara: "I always have."

He then tells me everything. How Hanabi, Hinata's little sister, was kidnapped by a man named Toneri. This man, is apparently from the moon. He is related to Kaguya, then… Naruto and the others are now on the moon, trying to retrieve Hanabi. I can't believe all of this happened while I was here, just thinking of myself and my own happiness… If I was back in Konoha, maybe I could've been of some use… No. This is no time to wallow up in self-pity. I have to be ready for what's ahead. If I couldn't help out before, I'll help out now by protecting the Earth from the Moon.


	86. The Proposal

"Fire!"

Under Gaara's command, all the shinobi, including me, fired offensive ninjutsu at the falling meteorites. We've been doing this for quite some time now. Good thing the Kage all saw it coming. Multiple hidden villages are now firing at the various meteorites falling all over the world. The meteors are getting bigger and bigger…

I go up to Gaara, planning on asking him permission for a plan I have in mind.

"Lord Kazekage…"

Gaara looks at me.

Gaara: "What is it, Akia?"

"The meteors are getting bigger. Soon we won't be able to handle them. I wanted to ask you if I can bring an ally to join our ranks who'll match the growing size of the meteors."

Gaara smiles.

Gaara: "That'll be quite helpful."

I smile back and distance myself from the other shinobi.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

A giant cloud of smoke envelops the area. When it dissipates, my very dear friend appears from within.

"Neiko!"

She's still as majestic as ever.

Neiko: "It's been a while, Akia."

I smile at her.

"I'll be counting on you this time too."

She nods. I then point at the meteors falling towards us. Neiko then lets me up on her head and we perform a powerful jutsu together. I perform a regular fire jutsu and she does a wind jutsu. Together, we destroy the meteors into tiny pieces.

We keep at it for a while, until, finally, it stops. The moon isn't falling towards us anymore. Did Naruto and the others make it? Looking towards the moon, I see the silhouette of two people kissing. I squint to figure out who it is. Is it… Naruto and Hinata? I smile at the sight. They're finally together. It kind of brings tears to my eyes, knowing how long Hinata has had feelings for Naruto. Neiko returns after we catch up for a bit and everyone goes back to their homes.

I spend more time in Sunagakure with Gaara, enjoying every moment I have with him. Weeks go by. While I'm walking around in Sunagakure with Maki, I spot one of Orochimaru's snakes slithering towards me. I rush to it and retrieve the letter in its mouth. What could it be about? I open the letter and begin reading it. Just as I thought! It's about mom! He did it… He's telling me where they are. I… I want to go see her.

Maki: "Everything alright, Akia?"

"Yeah… I just… have a few things to take care of."

I need to talk to Gaara. I say goodbye to Maki and head for Gaara's office. I knock on his door and he tells me to come in.

Gaara: "Akia? What's wrong? You look preoccupied."

"Well… My father was able to revive my mom…"

Gaara doesn't say anything. He just looks at me with a bit of concern in his eyes.

"I want to go see her."

Gaara closes his eyes for a bit. He then reopens them.

Gaara: "When are you planning on leaving?"

"As soon as possible."

Gaara: "I know this is a bit selfish of me to ask, but can you wait a bit."

I cock my head to the side, not sure why he'd ask that of me.

"Why do you want me to stay?"

Gaara: "I can't tell you right now. Just promise me you'll stay for at least another week."

Another week? Why such a long time? But Gaara never asked this of me before, so it must be pretty important. I should comply to his wishes.

"Alright. I'll do it for you, Gaara."

He smiles at me. He then gets up and hugs me.

Gaara: "I love you."

I wrap my arms around him as well.

"I love you too."

A few days pass. I make sure to send a letter to my father telling him about my situation. At least if they decide to move, they'll keep me updated. I wonder why Gaara wanted me to stay.

I'm supposed to leave tomorrow and Gaara hasn't said anything to me about why he didn't want me to leave right away. I look at his sleeping face next to mine. He has such a peaceful expression. Being careful not to wake him, I get up slowly. Before I can get out of bed, he grabs my wrist.

Gaara: "Don't go…"

He says in a muffled, whiny voice. I giggle at how adorable he is.

"It's already nine, baby. When are you planning to get up?"

Gaara stretches his arms and sits up on the bed. He tries to rub the sleep out of his eyes.

Gaara: "Want to go out with me today?"

I blink a few times at him.

"You don't have anything you need to do?"

Gaara: "I finished most of my duties over the past week so that I can spend this day with you before you leave."

So that's why he's been coming home later than usual these days. To think he did all this so that he can spend the day with me.

"Well, if you're free then I don't see why not."

We get ready to head out together. Gaara's wearing his regular ninja gear, since he doesn't want to take any responsibilities as the Kazekage today. He takes my hand and leads me through Sunagakure. We spend the day talking, eating at various places, and walking down the streets hand in hand. As the sun starts to set, Gaara brings me outside of Sunagakure, at one of the higher peaks in the desert. We both sit down next to each other and watch the sunset.

"It's so beautiful."

Gaara: "Yeah."

"Thank you for bringing me here."

Gaara: "N-No problem."

Hm? Did he just stutter? I look at Gaara and see him intensely fixing the sun in the horizon. He seems nervous about something.

"Is everything okay, Gaara?"

Gaara: "Yes! Everything's good!"

I jump at how loud he was when he said that. Something's definitely not right. I take Gaara's hand and kiss it. I feel him relax.

"I don't know what's bothering you, but I'll do all I can to help."

Gaara looks and me and I see his eyes full of love. He leans in and kisses me. After pulling away, he gets up and pulls me up with him.

Gaara: "Akia…"

He then gets down on one knee and takes out something from his pocket. Wait, what? What's going on? I feel like I've seen this scene before. Gaara takes my right hand in his and looks up at me.

Gaara: "My love for you has never stopped for all these years. I know that you're the only woman I want to spend the rest of my life with."

Is he… proposing?! I remember a really similar scene from the illusion created by the Infinite Tsukuyomi.

Gaara: "Will you before my woman and marry me?"

Tears start uncontrollably falling down my cheeks. Gaara seems perplexed by my reaction.

Gaara: "D-Did I say something wrong? Are you alright…?"

I shake my head.

"You didn't do anything wrong… I'm just so happy. I can't control my emotions."

Gaara: "So… you mean…?"

I nod.

"Yes! Of course I'll marry you!"

The most radiant smile I've ever seen on Gaara's face appears. He then gets up, hugs me tightly, lifts me up and twirls around with me in his arms. We both laugh in happiness and joy. I'm so happy. I'm so happy to be with Gaara. And now I'll be with him forever! I love him so much.


	87. Mother

Alright… This is the moment. I'm standing in front of my father's hideout. My mom should be in there. I wonder how it will be like to see her after all these years… Why am I so nervous? I need to calm myself! I received a letter from Orochimaru yesterday telling me that he left mom in the hideout. It seems like it didn't go well between them…

I open the entrance to the hideout and step inside. I then start walking around, trying to find if someone's around here. I then hear someone's humming. My heart skips a beat. I recognize that voice. Tears well up in my eyes. I gulp them down and breathe deeply to compose myself. Mom… She's really here… I walk up to the room from where I hear the humming. I then knock softly. The humming stops. The footsteps then come closer to the door. When the door opened, I saw her.

"…Mom…"

Tears fell down my cheeks uncontrollably. She looked the exact same. Her eyes teared up too and she wrapped her arms around me.

Shiroko: "Akia…! My baby…!"

That's when I let myself go and I sobbed, forgetting about the fact that I am a ninja. I feel like a little kid again, in my mother's arms. After staying like that for a while, we let go of each other and smile, looking in each other's eyes.

Shiroko: "You've grown so much… I wish I was there to see you grow."

She then wipes my tears with her hand. We both then go in her room and sit together on her bed. She takes me in her arms once more and plays in my hair.

Shiroko: "My little Akia… You seem to be doing really well. That man didn't hurt you, did he?"

That man? I break the hug and look her in the eyes.

"You mean dad?"

Mom frowns.

Shiroko: "Yeah… Him…"

She didn't forgive him for what he did. I mean, it's a given… I don't know why, but I still wished deep down that they'd be able to get along. That was pretty foolish of me to think of such a thing happening.

"He changed, mom. I know you won't be able to forgive him for what he did, but… I've forgiven him."

Mom exhales. She then smiles at me.

Shiroko: "I only want your happiness, Akia."

She then holds my hands in hers. Her eyes then widen and she brings my right hand up so that she can get a better look at it. Oh yeah! The ring… I smile and feel my cheeks heating up.

Shiroko: "Well, well, well… What do we have here?"

Mom then gives me a teasing smile.

Shiroko: "And who might the lucky man be who's captured my daughter's heart?"

"Ehe… Well, you see… It's kind of a long story…"

Shiroko: "I'm listening."

"Alright… Let me start from the beginning of it all."

I tell mom about everything. From the moment I escaped the hideout, to the time I ended up in Konoha, to when I met Gaara. I tell her about Haku, Anko-sensei and the Chunin exams. I talk to her about how Gaara was in the past and how he changed. I keep talking to her about everything she's missed out on. She listened to me very carefully from beginning to end. I finally tell her about the proposal and she smiles gently at me.

Shiroko: "Akia, I'm so proud of you. You've become such an honourable person. And it seems like you've already found the love of your life."

"Yeah… I just wish you were part of all that, mom."

We talk for much longer until we both fall asleep.

I wake up the next day, alone in the bed. Where's mom? My heart starts beating faster. Where is she? Was last night all a dream? No… I don't want to lose her again…! Calm down, Akia! She probably just woke up earlier than you. That must be it. I get up and leave the room. I look around and see that the entrance to the hideout is wide open. I step outside and find my mom sitting in the grass, looking up at the sky. My heart calms down and I go sit next to her.

Shiroko: "Good morning, Akia. Did you sleep well?"

I nod.

"You?"

Shiroko closes her eyes and shakes her head.

Shiroko: "I don't really feel like a human in my current condition."

I lower my eyes.

"Yeah… I figured that would happen…"

Shiroko: "Akia… Would you be disappointed if I chose to end this life of mine?"

I clench my fists. As much as I don't want her to leave me again, I understand where she's coming from. It would be selfish of me to ask her to stay with me in her current condition. She can't feel anything that a normal human being feels. She can't get hurt, can't sleep, can't eat, can't even die like a normal person. Her body simply doesn't feel anything.

"No, mom… I wouldn't be disappointed at all. I know that it's going to be hard, but it's harder on you than anyone else right now."

I gulp to hold back my tears.

"I just… have one last selfish request."

Shiroko: "What is it, dear?"

"Can you… attend my wedding?"

Mom smiles.

Shiroko: "Of course. It would make me the happiest mother on earth."

"Thank you. I'm sure you'll love Gaara once you meet him."

Shiroko: "I don't doubt that."

At least she'll be there for the most important event of my life. I know it will be hard to let her go after that, but I shouldn't be selfish about this. I don't my mother to suffer any more than she's already suffered. To release her, though, I need my father. I'll contact him as soon as I locate him. Hopefully he'll understand where we're coming from. I know he will… It will be another step of atonement for what he did back then.


	88. Forever Yours

I've been living with my mom in the hideout for a little more than a week now. During that time, I received a letter from my father telling me what he's been up to. It was harder on him than I thought when mom rejected him. He said that he would've wanted all of us to be a family again, but that mom just couldn't forgive what he had done. He told me his location as well.

This is exactly what I needed. Now I can send him a letter telling him about mom's decision to undo the jutsu and go back to the afterlife. After sending him the letter, I go tell mom what I've been thinking about.

"So, I sent the letter to dad."

She nods.

"And also, I was thinking… Would you like to come with me to Sunagakure and meet my fiancé?"

Her expression stays frozen for a bit. A smile then graces her face.

Shiroko: "I'd be thrilled to meet him."

I let out a sigh of relief. I should give Gaara a heads up about that, though. I wouldn't want to catch him off guard. I hurry to write a letter to Gaara as well and both mom and I pack up for the journey ahead. We then both leave as soon as we're done.

Since mom was a ninja when she was still alive, she's more than able to keep up with me. Especially since she's not exactly human anymore, so she doesn't have limited stamina. Even though she can't feel fatigue, she keeps asking me if I'm okay or if I want to rest. I keep telling her not to worry so much about me, but it just makes me so happy to have normal conversations with her like that. Thinking that this will end soon… is kind of painful. But I know this is for the best. The last thing I want is for my mother to suffer for my sake.

We finally reach the desert. Not much longer now.

Shiroko: "Are you excited to see him?"

I let out a small smile.

"Kind of…"

Shiroko: "My little Akia is blushing! How cute!"

I frown, feeling my face heat up even more.

"Stop teasing me, mom!"

Shiroko: "I can't resist!"

We bicker for a bit like a normal mother and daughter would. I need to cherish every second I have with her. I don't want to leave her side until the day comes when she has to go.

When we reach the entrance of Sunagakure, we are immediately greeted by one of the shinobi who is on guard duty. He then immediately takes us to Gaara's office. It seems that Gaara told his shinobi to expect us.

As soon as we go in his office, Gaara gets up from his chair and comes to greet us.

Gaara: "Akia and Mrs. Shiroko, welcome."

I can't help but smile at how courteous he's acting. I know he's aiming for a good first impression.

Shiroko: "Oh my, what handsome young man. My daughter sure knows who to fall for."

I nudge my mom, feeling blood rush to my cheeks.

"Mom…"

Gaara smiles.

Gaara: "I'm lucky to have your wonderful daughter choose someone like me."

Shiroko: "I'm glad she's with someone who seems to love her so much."

We all talk for a bit, but I can't help but feel a bit awkward seeing my mom and Gaara interact. It's nice though. I just never expected it to ever happen. Gaara then brings us back to the mansion with him. A bit later, Kankuro and Temari also join us. I introduce them to my mom and they warmly greet her.

Mom, Temari, and I then all head to the kitchen to prepare dinner. This is what it feels like to have a family. When Gaara and I get married, Temari and Kankuro will also be my family. The one thing that'll be missing will be my mother. I need to come to terms with that fact. It's just so hard to accept.

While mom's teaching Temari how to cook properly, I slip out of the kitchen and go join Gaara who's changing out of his Hokage attire in his room. When I open the door, he turns towards me, topless. Gazing upon his toned body, I immediately blush, even though I've seen him without any clothes on countless times before now.

Gaara: "Akia? Something wrong? I thought you were helping with dinner."

I go in the room and close the door behind me.

"I was… I just wanted to see you and talk about some things for a bit."

Gaara finishes dressing up in more casual clothes and comes up to me. He then hugs me.

Gaara: "Something's bothering you, right?"

I nod into his shoulder.

"You always seem to know these things."

Gaara pulls away and kisses my forehead.

Gaara: "Of course. I need to pay attention to my lovely fiancée."

Hearing him call me his fiancée makes me smile.

Gaara: "That's the beautiful smile I want to see every day."

I giggle.

"You make me feel like a little vulnerable girl sometimes."

Gaara: "Is that a good thing?"

I nod. He makes me feel so many innocent and raw emotions.

Gaara: "So? What was bothering you?"

I lower my gaze.

"It's mom…"

Gaara sighs and squeezes my hands. I already told him about what mom and I were planning to do after the wedding.

"I just feel like she's finally back to me, but… She's going to be taken away again. And right after our wedding too…"

Gaara: "If you want to schedule our wedding date further away, I don't mind."

I shake my head.

"That's not the way… She's going to go sooner or later. Every day she's living in that body is torture for her. I'd rather we have our wedding as early as possible to avoid making her suffer more than she has to."

Gaara kisses my lips, his arms wrapping around my waist. I close my eyes, enjoying his warmth. He pulls away and we look into each other's eyes.

Gaara: "I'll be there for you, Akia. I'll stay by your side."

"As long as you're there, I know I can move forward."

As we were about to go in for another kiss, I hear the door behind me open. Gaara then immediately lets go of me and I turn around abruptly to see who opened the door.

"M-M-M-Mom!"

I see mom looking at us with a sneaky grin. Both Gaara's and my face turns red.

Shiroko: "Did I interrupt anything?"

"You should knock before barging in like that!"

I can't believe she caught us in such an intimate moment…

Shiroko: "I just thought you guys were hungry. But I guess you were too busy doing something else."

"Alright, alright we're coming down to eat! No need to talk about any of this!"

Both Gaara and I follow mom downstairs and join Kankuro and Temari at the table covered in a lot of delicious looking dishes.

We all eat happily together, laughing and enjoying the food. Every moment is precious. I will always treasure these memories.

When we finish eating, we all start planning Gaara and my wedding. Considering all the preparations that have to go into it, the earliest we can have it would be next month. We need to send out invitations as well as get custom made ceremonial kimonos for both Gaara and me. We also have to plan where it's going to be held, who will officiate it, who will decorate the venue, as well as the food that will be served. It's going to be a very busy month.

I sleep in the same room as my mom that night, since I want to spend as much time with her as I can.

Shiroko: "Are you excited?"

I smile and nod.

"I am. I'll finally be able to spend the rest of my life with the man I love."

Shiroko: "I'm so happy for you, my little angel."

"Mom… Even though I wish with all my heart that you would stay with me too, I know that it's for the best to let you go. It's just a bit hard to come to terms with that fact."

Mom takes my hand in hers.

Shiroko: "I know, my love… Believe me, I wish I could stay with you forever. I really do…"

I fall asleep that night with my mom stroking my hair.

The next month passes by like a whirlwind. We make sure to send invitations to every important person across the nations. Of course, I also send a special invitation to my father. I really hope everyone can make it. Considering it's the Kazekage's wedding, everyone should be there.

It's already the night before the wedding. I don't know why I feel so stressed out about it. I don't know if I'll be able to sleep tonight. Mom comforts me, telling me that it's normal to be a bit on edge the night before the wedding. I wonder if dad will make it. I hope he does… He has to.

Just as I expected, I didn't get any good sleep. I was then mercilessly awoken by Temari and mom.

Temari: "Come on Akia, the makeup artist is going to be here soon!"

Shiroko: "You need to hurry up and take a shower before they get there!"

This is going to be such a hectic day, I can feel it… Mom and temari push me in the shower. The running water calms me down a bit. The peace only lasts for a few minutes though.

Temari: "Hurry up, Akia! What's taking you so long?!"

Shiroko: "Don't you dare fall asleep in there!"

I sigh and finish up with my shower. I eat a quick breakfast and start dressing up in my ceremonial kimono. It's made out of beautiful flowing fabric with cherry blossom flower prints at the bottom, fading the higher you go up the kimono. The sleeves and the overall length of the kimono is longer than other kimonos, considering it's for a wedding.

The makeup artist gets here while my mom is tying the sash. She sits me down after mom finishes and starts working on my face with various unknown products and tools. I got to say that I don't know much about makeup. It's not something I use as a kunoichi. A hair stylist then comes as well to work on my hair. I've never had so many people touch me before… It feels a bit uncomfortable. I wonder how Gaara's handling things. In his case, he just needs to put on the kimono and he's done. We're planning on meeting up at the shrine where our wedding will be held right after we're both done getting ready. This is really it. After this ceremony, Gaara and I will be united as husband and wife.

Everyone finally finishes up with playing around with my appearance. They all then get a bit away from me to get a better look. I see tears well up in my mother's eyes. Temari also, but she manages to hide them better.

Shiroko: "You're so beautiful…"

"Mom…"

I smile and get up. Looking in the mirror, I barely recognize the person that I've been transformed into. I feel like a woman. A beautiful, graceful lady. Not a deadly kunoichi.

Temari: "Well, it's time to go."

We all head to the shrine where everyone will be waiting for us. I meet up with Gaara at the back entrance. As soon as I see him, I blush at how handsome he looks. He, on the other hand, can't seem to keep his mouth closed.

"So… what do you think?"

Gaara: "You're the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes upon. No… I've never seen a more beautiful sight than you at this very moment."

"Gaara…"

I look into his eyes and feel uncontrollable emotions of love well up inside me. We both then head into the shrine. We must both go out of the shrine together in front of all the guests where the priest will then officiate the ceremony. We follow each step as described by the priest. I glance at the crowd of people and see all the familiar faces. Naruto's there, Hinata, all of my Konohagakure comrades, and comrades from other villages are here as well. It's such a huge crowd and they're all cheering for us, for our love. I see mom in front as well and… dad's also there! He's standing right beside her. This is the sight I wished to see on my wedding day. My wedding couldn't be any more perfect… I feel tears dangerously threatening to fall out. I need to hold them back; I can't let the makeup get destroyed. After the priest gives us his blessings, he pronounces us officially husband and wife. The crowd cheers louder than ever.

"Congratulations! Long live the happy couple!"

I smile at everyone's positive energy. I then look into Gaara's eyes and he kisses me. My Gaara… We're finally one.

"I love you."

Gaara: "I love you too, with all of my heart."

We then join everyone to thank them for coming. Naruto comes up to us with Hinata, a smile beaming on his face. I notice how they're holding hands.

Naruto: "I'm so happy for you guys. You deserve all the happiness!"

Gaara shakes Naruto's hand.

Gaara: "Thank you, dear friend."

Hinata and I hug and she congratulates me too. They both then announce some pretty big news.

Naruto: "We're actually also planning to get married."

"That's great news!"

Hinata blushes uncontrollably.

Gaara: "When is it going to be?"

Naruto: "The exact date is not set yet, but we'll definitely send you an invitation when it's decided."

I'm so happy for them. They deserve all happiness.

We greet everyone else and find out about a few unexpected pairings. It seems like Ino and Sai are dating now. Same for Sasuke and Sakura, and even Temari and Shikamaru! I'm surprised that Sasuke actually made it to the wedding.

My parents soon join us after we greet everyone.

Shiroko: "You look so happy, my little angel."

"I feel like this is the happiest day of my life."

Orochimaru: "Let's hope it's the start to even happier days."

Gaara: "I'll make sure to make her the happiest woman alive."

"You already have…"

I smile at Gaara. I then see my parents both smiling gently as well. This is the last day I get to spend with both of them. Mom will be leaving us tonight. Father already made the preparations for all that. Even though she's leaving, even though it hurts, I want to say goodbye to her with a smile.

The day finally comes to an end. Everyone goes their separate way. Gaara, mom, Orochimaru, and me head to my mother's final destination. Orochimaru prepares the jutsu and mom stands in the middle of a circle drawn on the floor.

"Mom… I'll miss you."

Shiroko: "My sweetie… I'll miss you too. But at least I know that I'm leaving you in good hands."

Mom then looks at Gaara.

Shiroko: "I ask that you take good care of her…"

Gaara: "I will always cherish her and love her."

Mom smiles gently.

Shiroko: "I don't doubt that."

She then turns to Orochimaru. I see a lot of sadness in her eyes.

Shiroko: "I did love you, Orochimaru…"

Dad shuts his eyes in regret.

Shiroko: "My feelings have not completely evaporated… That's why what happened back then is still so painful. I still harbour feelings for you. I just refused to acknowledge them."

Orochimaru: "Shiroko…"

His voice sounds choked up.

Orochimaru: "I'm sorry… From the bottom of my heart… I also loved you. I still do. I only wish I wasn't so blinded by my ambition."

Shiroko: "What's done is done. Use the rest of your life to care and protect our daughter."

Orochimaru: "I will, with my life."

Dad then executes the jutsu. Mom's body then starts to decompose into ash.

Shiroko: "I love you, Akia…"

"Mom…! I love you too!"

Those were the last words that I said to her before she completely disappeared. I couldn't control my tears at that point. They just kept flowing and flowing down my cheeks. Gaara was right there beside me, comforting me. I sought comfort into his firm embrace. He's my husband, my other half, the one that my heart will always love.


End file.
